Don Grusin and Filippo Gaetani - Populism Dystopia (2019)

A collaboration between Grammy award-winning pianist and composer Don Grusin and guitarist/producer/singer Filippo Gaetani, 2019's Populism Dystopia is a genre-crossing album that touches upon jazz, fusion, and experimental rock. At first glance, Gaetani and Grusin may seem like an odd pairing. Grusin, who has decades of studio and performance experience, leans heavily toward contemporary jazz and new age music. Conversely, Gaetani is more known for his work with alt-rock, jazz, and indie performers, as well as with his Baroque pop outfit SheLoom with fellow producers Eric Matthews and Jordon Zadorozny. Together, they bring all of their disparate experiences and skills to bear on four original songs. The most pop-oriented of all of the tracks is "Call My Name," which features a hushed, yet nicely resonant lead vocal from Gaetani and warm backing vocals from Grusin. With its moody verse, bright, hooky chorus, and bluesy guitar improvisation from Alexander Czerny, it brings to mind the lyrical, '70s-influenced solo work of artists like Brendan Benson and the aforementioned Matthews. Elsewhere, the opening "Woodoria" juxtaposes Gaetani's echoey guitar arpeggiations against Grusin's languid, crystalline piano lines. Different but equally compelling is the Latin-inflected title track, which sounds like something Grusin might have recorded for a breezy '60s romantic film, his piano bossa groove nicely offset by a warm trombone part, at least until Gaetani's fuzztone electric pushes the song toward its explosive, psychedelic conclusion. Ultimately, it's that sort of dynamic push and pull on Populism Dystopia that makes it such a surprisingly cohesive vision.~Populism Dystopia Review by Matt Collar