IFIHADAHIFI, The Dryad Review

Lifting the music scene with a global perspective is Gideon Frankel. Frankel is a composer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who created a world music ensemble called IFIHADAHIFI. Frankel composed, arranged, and produced his new album, The Dryad. Frankel performed on bass, Wurlitzer, and pianet. The ensemble is a revolving set of musicians from around the world, effortlessly melding to create a unified world sound that is spiritually deep and sonically diverse. Frankel conceived eleven songs as a classic vinyl LP, and it is available as a deluxe vinyl collectible for fellow audiophiles to indulge in the rich tones and expressive performances.

“Broken Dreams” has an exotic melody and beat driven by Jamichael Frazier’s flute playing. Frazier’s flute work is also central to “Chocolate Box” and “Mellow Jive.” Though Frazier is featured in all the selections, his various flute harmonies can be heard in the before-mentioned selections.

Frankel presents many styles centered around infectious rhythms and Frazier’s and vibraphonists Gianluca Manfredonia. “Spirit Dance” is a fine example of the two’s chemistry and blending of mallets and wind. In addition, Frankel’s unexpected narratives influenced by rhythms from around the world are central to each theme.

The compositions develop over the course of the form with contrapuntal notes professed in different instruments and layers. Yet, the musicians all show melodic agility and a rhythmic pulse that transforms each world beat into something natural and spiritual. Take a listen to “The Dryad” and “Sweet Tears” to hear how Frankel’s composition evolves into an unusual and interesting tapestry of sounds and rhythms.

The Dryad brings the world’s four corners into a close, melodically possessed configuration with Frankel’s imaginative compositions as the underpinning. The songs expand into multiple textures with the world rhythms at the center and encouraging prompting from Frazier’s outstanding flute work. The music has flux that builds a creative force to push our musical imagination. Frankel has found a rich vocabulary of compositional capacities. That’s the short of it!