Wheel Of Dharma
Self-Released, 2025
9/10
The renaissance man Joe Elefante is a pianist, composer, saxophonist, vocalist, composer and bandleader who guides his quintet through 5 timeless originals.
The lively “Bad Dancing” starts the listen with Elefante’s swift piano alongside Freddie Hendrix’s bright trumpet and Dave Heilman’s frisky drumming, and “Rocky’ follows with Sameer Shankar’s playful bass amid the melodic keys and Erena Terakubo’s soulful sax.
“The One Who Knows” and “The Earth Is On Fire” occupy the middle spots. The former is an intimate moment of soft and heartfelt instrumentation, while the latter is a rich and dynamic album highlight that showcases Hendrix’s trumpet acrobatics alongside the upbeat rhythm section.
The final selection, “Lion’s Eyes”, then allows for Elefante’s meticulous piano to shine in a cautious yet exploratory exit of timeless jazz sounds.
A very cohesive effort that balances ideas from the past as well as very modern ideas, Elefante suffered a terrible loss recently when his wife succumbed to cancer in 2024, and he has since dove head first into music full time with incredible results.
Travels well with: Jerry Kalaf- Safe Travels; Rodney Whitaker- Mosaic