JOE ELEFANTE’S

WHEEL OF DHARMA

Independent Label

Joe Elefante, piano; Sameer Shankar, bass; Dave Heilman, drums; Erena Terakubo, saxophone; Freddie Hendrix, trumpet.

After majoring in jazz saxophone and piano, Joe Elefante found himself caught up in the jazz scene, performing both regularly for the next fifteen years.  Eventually he settled down to raise a family. That’s when the life of a jazz musician got put on ‘hold.’  He became willfully employed as a schoolteacher and while raising his family, he spent the next decade as a part-time musician. When Elefante lost his wife to cancer in 2024, he recognized that life is way too short and fragile to put his hopes and dreams on ice.  He has returned to the music scene with a burning desire to express all the passion and excitement that first fueled his artistry.

Over the years, Elefante has travelled and performed on four continents, conducted jazz ensembles and his own Joe Elefante Big Band.  He has played at both jazz clubs and on musical theater stages.  At times, he represented the U.S. State Department as a jazz pianist in both the Middle East and Eastern Europe.  Reflecting his Buddhist religion, “Wheel of Dharma” is both a tribute to his late wife, Caryn, and a celebration of Elefant’s composing talents.

He opens with a tune called “Bad Dancing” that swings hard, with close harmonies pumped out by Freddie Hendrix on trumpet locking horns with Erena Terakubo on saxophone. Elefante’s piano solo leaps into the spotlight, on fire and exciting. Terakubo leans into a minor mode solo on her saxophone that reminds me a little bit of the Coltrane days.  Dave Heilman’s drums keep everything moving forward and held in perfect time and tempo. This quickly became one of my favorites on the album.

Track #2 is written by his saxophonist, Erena Terakubo and Vincent Herring.  But it’s the song, “The One Who Knows” that snatches my attention, featuring a beautiful and emotional solo by Sameer Shankar on bass.  I find myself infatuated with this production.  It’s both melodic and tender.  Elefante’s solo is compelling.  Another favorite is “Lion’s Eyes” that struts and swaggers across my listening room in a very swinging way, like a well-dressed man in a bright red suit strutting down a Brooklyn boulevard bouncing gold chains and a custom cane.

This is a warm ‘welcome back’ to the jazz stage for Joe Elefante.  Surrounded by a few youthful players, and old college friends like Hendrix and Heilman, along with Elefante’s original music, this album offers Elefante’s commitment to honoring both his music, his personal jazz journey, and his beloved family.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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