On this rare and special occasion, vibraphonist Dillon Vado leads an exciting trio featuring Kanoa Mendenhall on bass and Dave King on drums. Dave King is a founding member and drummer of the famously idiosyncratic group The Bad Plus, and Kanoa has played all over the world with artists like Joel Ross, Dayna Stephens, and Terri Lyne Carrington. Improvised music aficionados and jazz fans alike will enjoy this rare trio's rich sonic and emotional depth. 

This group will play original compositions by Dillon and unique improvisational arrangements borrowing from his experience with singer-songwriters, avant-garde jazz, and Brazilian music. Dillon’s musical aesthetic is informed by his wide range of musical experience as a drummer, bandleader, composer, and vibraphonist, as well as the influence of his mentors Art Lande, Jovino Santos Neto, Hafez Modirzadeh, and many others. His compositions are tasteful and carefully refined but remain committed to engaging the void and riding the waves of improvisational spontaneity dictated by the creative spirit. The directness and rich sonority of the vibraphone complement Dillon’s keen ear for melodic clarity and interpretation while also offering a sonic palette that is expansive and transformative. 

About Dillon Vado

Dillon Vado is a drummer and vibraphonist who plays music that is an honest representation of a broad range of influences. Dillon is known for making music that is dynamic and complex but memorable and relatable. As comfortable laying down Brazilian grooves on drum set as he is improvising with poets and dancers on vibraphone, Dillon can be found playing vibes with many of his own projects, including The Table Trio and Heart Matter with Amy D. and drumming/composing for Never Weather, who released their debut album, Blissonance, on Ridgeway Records in 2020. 

As a sideman, Dillon can be found playing and recording on drums and vibraphone with skilled vocalists like Noaa Rienecker and Amy Dabalos, Brazilian music with Marcos Silva and Sandy Cressman, and many other projects, including The Dirty Snacks Ensemble, The Michael Echaniz trio, The Electric Squeezebox Orchestra, Silvestre Martinez and his Bad Hombres, and the Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra.