Jocelyn Medina - Common Ground (2017)

Vocalist and composer Jocelyn Medina mixes messages of universal unity with a voice of richness in a jazz context on this album of Bodhi tree’d themes. This recording that has her with a team of Steve Gorn & Hadar Noiberg/fl, Pete McCann/g, Art Hirahara/key, Even Gregor/b, Mark Ferber/dr, Samir Chatterjee/table and Robert Levin/perc needs to be approached on two levels. Musically, Medina uses her flexible and clear voice in a variety of moods, mixing Indian ragas and harmonies with American blues and jazz, as on the wordless melody “Simple,” the bluesy “Slow it Down” or the upbeat and funky Sink or Swim.” Indian voicings and Southern Asian flutes add to the framework of “Meant To Be” and “Two But Not Two” to create a mix of New Age sounds from the 80s with modern sensibilities.
On the other perspective, Medina brings messages of universal acceptance, tapping into the thought of the brotherhood of man , to form an album akin to John Lennon’s “Imagine” while still coping with struggles here on earth as on “Break Through.” Her desires for peace both within and without are commendable, yet I always find it intriguing that westerners look for answers of the soul by decrying the foundations of Christianity, which was the only faith to challenge slavery, while embracing world views that have given us the caste system and Sati. An album that could lead to an intriguing discussion.~By George W. Harris