Renowned vibraphonist Mike Dillon, pianist Brian Haas, bassist James Singleton and drummer Johnny Vidacovich have all collaborated together over the years in a variety of iterations and projects. In fact, Vidacovich and Singleton have been members of one of New Orleans‘ best rhythm sections since the late 1970s, and they backed an impressive list of artists including Dizzy Gillespie, Professor Longhair and others while Dillon and Haas have been sitting in on each other’s projects and collaboration since the 90s with Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, Garage A Trois and Dead Kenny G’s. And with the formation of Nolatet, Dillon, Haas, Singleton and Vidacovich have made their collaboration official.
The quartet’s debut album Dogs was recorded at New Orleans’ famed Esplande Studios in one day with all first or second takes with no overdubs, and the material from those sessions is influenced by each musician’s diverse life and perceptions as musicians; in fact, the quartet features musicians who span four different decades in age — Vidacovich is in his 70s, Singleton in his 60s, Dillon in his 50s and Haas in his 40s, and as a result the material also draws and is informed by the past four decades of jazz history. As the members of the band mention in press notes, the quartet came into the studio with compositional sketches — but the material is ultimately free-flowing, improvised and possesses a wicked and mischievous wit while swinging hard as you’ll hear on Dogs‘ latest single “Bongo Joe.”
The quartet will be touring to support their debut effort together at the end of February. Check out the tour dates below.
Tour Dates
February 28 – New Orleans, LA – Snug Harbor
March 11 – Atlanta, GA – Red Room
March 12 – Asheville, NC – Altamont Theater
March 14 – Bethesda, MD – Bethesda Blues & Jazz
March 15 – Pittsburgh, PA – Pittsburgh Winery
March 16 – Brooklyn, NY – The Hall
March 18 – Portsmouth, NH – The Press Room
March 19 – Boston, MA – Berklee College of Music
March 24 – Santa Fe, NM – High Note
March 25-26 – Denver, CO – Mercury Cafe
April 7 – Santa Cruz, CA – Kuumbwa Jazz Center
April 8-9 – San Francisco, CA – Doc’s Lab
April 15 – Seattle, WA – The Royal Room