For those unaware, Gideon Frankel is an inveterate creative ... an ever curious and inventive composer, songwriter and music producer with an insatiable love of all things sonic.

He had an unconventional upbringing and was just 7 years old when his intrepid parents - following the research passions of his Archeologist father - took him and his brother out of school to explore Australia’s First Nations heritage.

For months, they traversed the remotest parts of the vast continent by caravan to experience indigenous art and culture sites set in the spectacular outback landscapes.

Evenings were spent jamming by the campfire under the wondrous southern stars.

Then, once again, at age 12, school was put on hold as the family embarked on an extensive international tour of ancient cultural sites, museums and galleries in an immersive exploration of the art and relics of the Mediterranean, Near East and British Isles.

This global perspective and those cross-cultural and multi-temporal influences have stayed with him throughout his career and are apparent in his first solo release, under the guise of IfIHadAHiFi (which the very curious might notice that it is a palindrome), The Dryad, a collection of 11 inventive compositions scored for an alluring and mystical sextet of Flute, Upright Bass, Vintage Keys, Vibraphone, Drums and Percussion.

1. Broken Dreams (2:50)
2. The Dryad (2:38)
3. Burning Blues (3:34)
4. Chocolate Box (1:59)
5. Sweet Tears (3:02)
6. The Phoenician (2:38)
7. Catch Some Honey (2:57)
8. Spirit Dance (2:24)
9. The Start Of Something (3:51)
10. Evenings (2:40)
11. Mellow Jive (2:44)

This magnificently atmospheric, and astutely organic new album of quite wondrous melodies and rhythms opens on the delightful hop-skip of Broken Dreams and the free flowing, and titular The Dryad and then comes the dulcet, yet funky grooves within Burning Blues, with the discerningly canny notes of Chocolate Box next up, before we get the soaring Sweet Tears brought forth.

Up next is the impassioned The Phoenician which is itself followed seamlessly by the veritably cinematic Catch Some Honey, the earnestly embracing Spirit Dance, the groovy The Start Of Something, the recording rounding out on the pensively enchanting Evenings, closing on the aptly-named Mellow Jive.

Gideon began composing these works during lockdown inspired by his collection of vintage electric pianos. “Somehow when I sit at these keyboards I tap into a mysterious well of melodic and harmonic inspiration. It’s like an author who gets inspired by tapping away on a vintage typewriter or using an antique fountain pen with textured heirloom paper to enter a ‘zone’ when writing,” he explains.

What Started out as a lockdown passion-project soon became an international collaboration which turned isolation into an asset.

While Melbourne, Australia’s long bursts of lockdowns (the world’s longest as it turned out) were frustrating a great many people, Gideon used the solitary time to focus on the introspective and imaginative work required for writing and composing.

“Having that time was immensely productive and inspiring - what could have been the most isolated and disconnected period, became a peak of connection and creative relationship building.”

Personnel:
Composed, Arranged & Produced by Gideon Frankel
Flutes - Jamichael Frazier
Drums & Percussion - Reinaldo Ocando 1,2,3,4,7,8,9,11, Mauro Regulez 5; Pepe Rodríguez 6
Vibraphone - Gianluca Manfredonia 3,6,7,8; Clara Zucchetti 6 & 9; Levade Paoli 1 & 4; Antonie Veskovski 5; Reinaldo Ocando 2; Kai Stensgaard 3
Wurlitzer & Pianet - all tracks Gideon Frankel; Paolo ‘Pee Wee’ Durante 2 & 7; Fender Rhodes Abramo Riti 1
Bass - Gideon Frankel 2,4,6,7,8,9,10; Miguel Valazquez 11 & 5; Leonardo Vall 1; Albert Mora 3