Tiki Birdwhistle

“Tiki Birdwhistle” by Mike Dillon and the Malletmen is a self-described “New Orleans Exotica” track slathered with influences. It has the playful, virtuosic mallet rolls of Martin Denny; the bouncy melodies and cawing of Cal Tjador; the escapism of Arthur Lyman and the soul of the Montgomery Brothers. While in town playing a show with The Greyboy Allstars, Eddie Roberts called upon Dillon and company to check out the Color Red studio. Doing a session was a no-brainer and the group knocked it out of the park with layers of infectious mallet work that could simultaneously rile up a crowd on a sweaty dance floor and have jaws drop on the floor at a concert hall.