Album Review: Self-Titled from Joe Elefante's Wheel of Dharma

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Album:  Self-Titled
Artist:  Joe Elefante's Wheel of Dharma
Label: Self-Released
Website: https://www.joeelefantemusic.com
SoundCloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/o3mTyKuYxndfss2j7
YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@joeelefantemusic

The theme of jazz pianist Joe Elefante's Wheel of Dharma's 2025 recording is personal as well as meaningful on a broad scale that touches families far and wide.  After losing his wife to cancer in 2024, Elefante set out to revive his passion to make music, fueling his drive to create and share his material as never before.  His offering is a tribute to his wife's memory and a celebration of his dedication to his craft.

Joining Elefante are old friends, Freddie Hendrix on trumpet and David Heilman on drums.  Their friendship stretches back over 25 years to their college days, when they first met and began their musical journey together.  Rounding out the ensemble are Erena Terakubo on saxophone and Sameer Shankar on bass.  The quintet, dubbed Joe Elefante's Wheel of Dharma, is named after Elefante's connection to Buddhist teachings or dharma.

The album spotlights arrangements that show a reverence for traditional swing and straight-ahead jazz idioms.  Featuring five original compositions by Elefante and one piece by Terakubo, titled “Rocky,” each track demonstrates the quintet's collaborative leanings and intuitive inclination to play as a cohesive unit, rousing each other's creative impulses.  Independently recorded and produced by Elefante, the project reflects his commitment to honoring both the music and the personal journey behind it.

The tingling sensations emanating from Elefante's keys trotting along "Lion's Eyes" sparkle and flair vibrantly, infusing a joyful sprint in the score.  Elefante stokes the flames of iconic swing in tracks like "Bad Dancing" and "The Earth Is on Fire," as the wingspan of Hendrix's trumpet peals reverberate expansively, curling and squeezing in improvised patterns while Terakubo's saxophone plumps up the bubbly sensations.  The recording shifts to a luminous ambience along "Rocky," infusing a romantic sentiment into the repertoire, led by Elefante's glinting keys.

Tapping into Elefante's lengthy history with his band mates enabled him to create arrangements steep in their shared experiences and distinctive strengths.  Entwining elements of swing and straight-ahead jazz, the quintet not only revived Elefante's love of the craft but they also revived the craft itself, thrusting the iconic medley into the 21st century.

Musicians:
Joe Elefante - piano
Freddie Hendrix - trumpet
Erena Terakubo - saxophone
Sameer Shankar - bass
David Heilman - drums

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