Vibraphonist, percussionist, and songwriter
Mike Dillon is an eclectic, highly adventurous musician with a sound steeped in post-bop jazz, funk, and avant-garde rock. Drawing upon such wide-ranging influences as
Harry Partch,
Thelonious Monk,
Tom Waits, and
Frank Zappa, he has led and co-led numerous ensembles, including the
Dead Kenny Gs,
Garage a Trois, and
Critters Buggin'. As a sideman,
Dillon has also worked with a varying cadre of acclaimed performers, such as
Primus'
Les Claypool,
Karl Denson,
Ricki Lee Jones, and
Ani DiFranco. In addition, he has released his own genre-bending albums, including 2007's Battery Milk with his Go-Go Jungle band, 2014's New Orleans jazz- and R&B-influenced
Band of Outsiders, and 2020's inventive covers album
Rosewood. In 2021, he released an ambitious, deeply personal trilogy of albums: Shoot the Moon, Suitcase Man, and
1918.
A native of San Antonio, Texas,
Dillon started playing percussion around age ten and participated in his school's music program and the local youth symphony. After high school, he studied classical music in college, played in jazz ensembles, and was a member of his school's marching band. He also began investigating Latin and African rhythmic traditions. By the late '80s,
Dillon was playing in the progressive art-rock band Ten Hands, after which he founded the group Billy Goat. It was during this period that he discovered the music of
Thelonious Monk and decided to shift gears, focusing more on jazz improvisation and developing his skills on the vibraphone. He began accepting work as a sideman, playing on such varied projects as
MC 900 Ft. Jesus,
Brave Combo, and
Pigface. He also joined the genre-bending outfit
Critters Buggin', recording 1998's
Bumpa and 1999's
Amoeba.
In the early 2000s,
Dillon moved to New Orleans, where he quickly found a home in the city's vibrant and eclectic music scene. More sessions followed, including albums with the avant-garde ensemble the Malachy Papers, guitarist
Karl Denson, and bassist
Les Claypool. He also joined drummer
Stanton Moore's
Garage a Trois ensemble, appearing on 2003's Emphasizer. There were more albums with
Critters Buggin', including 2004's
Stampede and 2005's
Monkeypot Merganzer.
In 2007, he debuted his own Matt Dillon's Go-Go Jungle band with Battery Milk. Two years later, he released his sophomore album as leader, Rock Star Bench Press. There were also notable recordings with
Ani DiFranco,
David Egan,
Ruthie Foster, and
the Polyphonic Spree. He led a collective called the
the Dead Kenny GS with
Skerik and
Brad Houser, together releasing 2011's
Operation Long Leash on Royal Potato Family. Also in 2011, he was back with
Garage a Trois for
Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil.
In 2012,
Dillon released his own Urn on Royal Potato Family, and played on
Doug Belote's
Magazine St. He also recorded with
Stuart McLamb's The Love Language and participated as a member of
Karl Denson's Tiny Universe for 2014's New Ammo. That year,
Dillon joined trombonist Carly Meyers, bassist Patrick McDevitt, and drummer Adam Gertner for the quartet album
Band of Outsiders, recorded in Miami with co-producers Gary Vandy and Richard Maloney, Jr. Along with continued work with
DiFranco,
Dillon also played on projects during this period with
Primus,
Papa Mali,
the New Mastersounds, and others.
Another incarnation of the
Mike Dillon Band -- featuring guitarist Cliff Hines, bassist Nathan Lambertson and an alternating cast of drummers including
Claude Coleman Jr. (
Ween),
Simon Lott, G. Maxwell,
Doug Belote, and Paul Thibodeaux -- entered a Crescent City recording studio and continued to explore the connections between NOLA street beats, ska, funk, punk, and jazz. With co-production by Richard Maloney and engineering from Rick Nelson and
Robert Mercurio, the group emerged with Life Is Not a Football in April 2017. A year later, he released Bonobo Bonobo, a New Orleans funk- and punk-influenced album recorded with his Mallett Men ensemble.
Following sessions with
Rickie Lee Jones,
Karl Denson, and Toronto's
Bedouin Soundclash,
Dillon relocated to Kansas City, Missouri. In July 2020, he released
Rosewood, a solo vibes and percussion album that found him playing originals alongside covers, including a reworking of
Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt." By the end of the year, he had released a trilogy of albums recorded during lockdown for the COVID-19 pandemic, Shoot the Moon, Suitcase Man, and
1918. ~ Matt Collar