As comfortable laying down Brazilian grooves on drum set as he is improvising with poets and dancers on vibraphone, Dillon Vado is a multi-instrumentalist/producer who makes music that is honest and inspired. He’s best known for co-leading the vibraphone-forward indie-jazz project Heart Matter, which recently celebrated their first sold-out show at the SFJAZZ Center in Spring 2025, embarked on a West Coast tour in Spring 2026, and is currently working on their debut album, Horizons. Dillon draws inspiration from his many musical heroes and mentors that he’s been fortunate enough to share the stage with, including Brazilian composers Marcos Silva and Jovino Santos Neto, veteran improvisers like Dave King (The Bad Plus), Art Lande, Hafez Modirzadeh, Ben Goldberg, and recording/engineering/pedal steel guru Bruce Kaphan (David Byrne, American Music Club).