Heart Matter performs at the Jazz Station in Eugene
Catch SF Bay Area based band, Heart Matter, featuring vocalist Amy D and vibraphonist Dillon Vado in their first appearance at The Jazz Station in April! As part of a West Coast Tour, this show features their quartet and original music from their forthcoming debut album, Horizons.
- Amy D voice
- Dillon Vado vibraphone & piano
- Lukas Vesely bass
- Isaac Schwartz drums
Heart Matter has created a truly unique sonic footprint with a jazz-informed, indie band feel. Now with live processing of the vibraphone through guitar pedals, their music is sculpted in real time; setting the stage for riveting and emotionally-driven compositions.
With songs that center honesty and reverence for the human experience, Heart Matter reckons with loss and encourages presence and deeper connection. Co-led by Amy D and Dillon Vado, the two composers bring a genuine collaborative spirit to the music. Accomplished Bay Area musicians Lukas Vesely (bass) and Isaac Schwartz (drums) complete the lineup and serve the music with precision and spontaneity.
Having built a following through performances at SFJAZZ, Healdsburg Jazz Festival, and the San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, they're a band that’s worth catching live. Think Joni Mitchell's lyrical directness, Esperanza Spalding's adventurous yet accessible musicality, and the dynamic, avant garde qualities of The Bad Plus. Audiences often experience laughter, tears, and quiet reflection at their shows, describing the music as:
"fiery and exciting,"
"deep, elegant, honest,"
"the meeting point of impeccable musicianship and catharsis."
More than anything, Heart Matter seeks to share transformative music with those who need to hear it, offering a remedy for the trance of modern life and a sacred space to feel it all.
Amy D. (Amy Dabalos) is a vocalist, songwriter, and music educator who encourages reflection and healing through creative expression. With a musical foundation rooted in jazz, followed by formal classical training, Amy D. relishes in the subtle, technical, and innovative. A San Jose native now residing in Oakland, her luminescent voice and heartfelt performances have been featured throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond since 2010. Past appearances include SFJAZZ, Yoshi’s Oakland, The Sound Room, Keys Jazz Bistro, San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, and Healdsburg Jazz Festival.
Her debut album ‘Like You’ was released in 2019 on Unspeakable Records, in collaboration with producer and master keyboardist Michael Aaberg (Goapele, Lalah Hathaway, Derrick Hodge). In addition to performing and recording with her new band Heart Matter (a collaboration with vibraphonist Dillon Vado), she empowers others along their own journeys to express through voice and communication through 1:1 coaching and workshops.
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. Dillon is most known for co-leading the vibraphone-forward indie-jazz project Heart Matter with vocalist Amy D, who just celebrated their first sold-out show at the SF Jazz Center in Spring 2025. Heart Matter is preparing to release their debut album in Summer of 2026. Pursuing an almost spiritual obsession with the trio sound, Dillon is constantly exploring the “vibes trio” format with many esteemed colleagues including Dave King (The Bad Plus) and Kanoa Mendenhall, and drumming/composing for Never Weather, who released their debut album, Blissonance, on Ridgeway Records in 2020.
Dillon draws inspiration from his many musical heroes and mentors whom he has had the good fortune to share the stage with many times including Brazilian composers/bandleaders Marcos Silva and Jovino Santos Neto, fiercely committed improvisers like Art Lande, Hafez Modirzadeh and Ben Goldberg, and recording and engineering/pedal steel guru Bruce Kaphan (David Byrne, American Music Club).
