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Dillon Vado

@dillonvado

2.1K

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4564

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Drummer, Vibraphonist and Bandleader, Oakland CA
Co-leading @heartmattersounds
@bluehausmalletshop @marimbaone Artist.
Photography at @dillonphodo

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A beautiful blur 💜✨

We blinked and our @sfjazz debut came and went! And yet, the glow of the experience echoes in our hearts.

Through all the preparation and lead up to that kind of show, it’s necessary for us to come back to what really matters—the living, breathing nature of our music and the purpose that’s alive in sharing it with you.

We’re so grateful to everyone who made it possible, including our amazing band mates, the SFJAZZ team, Julianna Cressman (marketing!), Hanna Simmons (merch!), Dan Vado (T-shirt pressing!), and the MANY friends and family members who came out to support. Thank you, thank you!

Your encouraging words and energy have been with us, as we’ve been tracking our first album the past few days. We’re really bringing that vibrant, onstage vibe into this recording, and we have all of you to thank for the extra creative fuel. ✨✨✨

SIDE NOTE - if you’re wearing your Heart Matter T-shirt around town… send us a photo, will ya? 😎

#vibraphone #jazz #indieband #vocals #heartmatter #music #bts #livemusic #jazzfusion #modernjazz taken in SFJAZZ by @dillonvado

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a year ago

The first vibraphone-playing-pedal-bro?

Hi I’m Dillon Vado and my band Heart Matter @heartmattersounds is currently on tour!

While most of our music is very vocal and heart centric, and I take my role as a sensitive accompanist very seriously, I do occasionally like to turn on some pedals and just get absolutely stupid. 🤪🤘🤠 #chromaconsole

We play Wed 4/29 at @royalroomseattle
Thurs 4/30 SOHA, Sanctuary of Healing Arts @soha97370

Friday 5/1 And finally our last stop on the journey, it’s not every day you get to play around the corner from the Marimba One factory, and also such a cherished and amazingly warm venue, the Arcata Playhouse @playhouse.arts

This band is sounding amazing and we’d love to share our music with you 🤘♥️
#bayareamusic #vibraphone #jazzvibes #indieband by @dillonvado

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6 months ago

Come hear songs that mirror the human experience, as we hit the road with our full band this April!

We’re SO looking forward to sharing music from our forthcoming debut album and playing with our beloved bandmates @schwartzdrums510 and @lukasbrianvesely - it’s always an honor 🩷

Please please please help us spread the word to friends in the PNW. We’d love to meet them!

pic by @kencookmusic taken in Pacific Northwest by @dillonvado

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6 months ago

Thrilled to bring my new Wayne Shorter program to @mrtipplessf on Thursday, October 15, sets at 7pm and 8:30pm! Mark your calendars, ticket links in bio! ⬆️

Michael Echaniz - Piano, synth 🎹🎛️
Jeff Denson - Electric bass, voice 🎸
@jeffdensonmusic
Dillon Vado - Drum set 🥁
@dillonvado

Dedicated to the late, great @wayneshorterofficial ! 🎷

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#music
#jazz
#jazzfusion
#wayneshorter
#sfmusic taken in Mr. Tipple's Jazz Club by @dillonvado

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a month ago

Had a blast performing my new Wayne Shorter trio set last Friday at a sold-out show @csma_mv with @jeffdensonmusic and @dillonvado ! More footage coming soon! Look out for our next show on Thursday, October 15th in SF, more details coming soon! 🎹🎸🥁🎶

Concert dedicated to the music of the late, great @wayneshorterofficial .

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#music
#jazz
#jazzfusion
#wayneshorter
#siliconvalley taken in Csma-Community School of Music and Arts by @dillonvado

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a month ago

“When we are in the frame of mind which nourishes hau [Maori term, roughly translated to spirit of the forest and often the spirit of gift exchange itself], we identify with the spirit of the gift, not with its particular embodiments, and whoever has identified with the spirit will seek to keep the gift in motion. Therefore, the sign of the identity is generosity, gratefulness, or the act of gratitude.”

-Lewis Hyde: The Gift pg 193

Taking a moment this morning to reflect on how grateful I am for each of you, and really resonating with the spirit of the gift.

Thank you so much for the birthday wishes, thanks also if you were one of the people to donate to my humble little birthday, wedding, car fund, it truly means a lot and really helps.

I feel like I’ve been in an almost hermetic period, an extended cutaway from sharing my music and things more outwardly, and that’s been very good for me in a number of ways. But I feel I’m entering a new chapter in many ways all at once and that chapter is going to involve a lot of sharing of my musical gifts and doing so generously.

I’ve been slowly digesting the lessons from The Gift by Lewis Hyde, and I dare say if you identify as any sort of creative person it’s required reading.

All to say that, in identifying with the spirit of gift exchange, I’m coming into a new chapter in which I intend to continue nourishing the community spirit and my own personal gifts in tandem and I hope that you understand that this flows through me from an unending spring of gratitude and a desire to nourish the spirit that I cannot truly articulate with words.

Love you all 🙏♥️ by @dillonvado

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2 months ago

Working on a new 9/4 groove with @jeffdensonmusic and @dillonvado ! Come see us perform on Friday, September 4th in Mountain View, CA! Free show, doors at 7pm, RSVP link in bio ⬆️🎹🎸🥁🎶

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#jazz
#jazzfusion
#oddmeter
#prog
#bayareamusic taken in Mountain View, California by @dillonvado

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2 months ago

Thank you for all the birthday wishes friends! I hate to be this way but… if you’re feeling super inspired and generous and want to give a birthday gift, my car has finally bit the dust.
Me and the ol’ Cosmik Debris (the Kia) have been together 11 years and 200,000 miles, and according to the Kia experts, I have to take it out back and shoot it.

With my wedding around the corner and a largely unpredictable income, I am currently Accepting birthday (or wedding however you’d like to think of it) money towards a down payment of a new ride so I can get moving sooner than later.

I’m also accepting advice on how best to get rid of the Kia or if anybody is interested in purchasing it for parts etc.

For birthday love, PayPal and Zelle to dillonvado@gmail.com
Or Venmo to @Dillon-Vado

I’m working on not feeling like a burden and accepting help when needed, so instead of apologizing again I will just say THANK YOU! So much, and please only if it’s easy for you, no pressure. Love and coherence to each of you
🙏🙏🙏♥️♥️♥️ by @dillonvado

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2 months ago

Powered by momentum and f*** it energy! ⚡️

Meet our producer Bruce Kaphan, a true master of production and music (to say the least). He is just as much a member of Heart Matter as we are at this point and we are BEYOND LUCKY to be in his company.

We sat down between bouts of recording this weekend to talk about the intricate, labor intensive, and highly gratifying journey of making a record. A journey that we’re very much traversing right now!

Here’s a little glimpse into our world and how our recording process started in 2025.

We promise that music is on the wayyyy! 👀💜

Shout out to @lukasbrianvesely @schwartzdrums510 @housecallrecording and of course @2200studios for making all of this possible as well. 🙏

#behindthemusic #indieband #vibraphone #heartmatter #brucekaphan taken in 2200 Sound by @dillonvado

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2 months ago

Sound speaks ✨

Just yesterday we were reflecting on the power of sound in the Heart Matter journey. From the start, it’s been a finding of our footing in the dance of voice & vibraphone.

This sometimes gentle, sometimes fierce combination of textures and tones is less well-matched than you’d think. Every arrangement requires serious harmonic and melodic choreography on Dillon’s part. How does he even do it?! How can we dance without stepping on each other’s toes?

In this refinement process, it’s really been the sound guiding us forward…creating the sonic palate and emotional space we want to live in.

This record we’re making continues to illuminate the beauty and complexity of what we’ve gotten ourselves into. And we wouldn’t have it any other way. 🥲

Music coming soooooooon 💜

#vibraphone #heartmatter #vocals #indieband #singlerelease taken in The Royal Room by @dillonvado

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2 months ago

We’re likely …. staring at a computer screen in Niles! 😵‍💫

It’s been A LOT of recording, listening, and analyzing waveforms for hours. This record making process has been like a masters degree.

Working alongside our producer Bruce (whom we call “the wizard”) means considering the details more deeply than we could have ever imagined. As Bruce says, an effective recording is one that captures the kernel of the song - which often feels as simple as capturing lightning in a bottle. It means preparing deeply and also opening oneself to spontaneity and the unknown. A subtle, beautiful art.

First single coming in a few weeks! We’re curious…where do you listen to music these days?

#jonimitchell #vibraphone #voice #indieband #singlerelease taken in Niles Canyon by @dillonvado

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2 months ago

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see amazing Samba Jazz artists from SãoPaulo @danigurgel(voc) and @deboragurgelmusic(piano/arrangements)with @sidielvieira on bass and @dillonvado on drums, and special guests @natcressman (trombone) and @cressmanmusic(vocals). One show only at 7:00 pm at San Francisco North Beach’s historic venue @keysjazzbistro #sambajazz #musicapopularbrasileira #northbeachsf #bayarealatinjazz #vocalist taken in San Francisco, California by @dillonvado

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3 months ago