Mike Dillon Honors Beloved Dog With New Album ‘Mike & Beignet Go To The Zoo’

Mike Dillon announced a new album, Mike & Beignet Go to the Zoo, set for release on October 2 via RPF Records/Royal Potato Family. The record honoring the renowned percussionist’s beloved dog Beignet, who sadly passed away late last year, is previewed with the track “Puma and the Spider Monkey.”

Beignet, a 5.6-pound Papillon, entered Dillon’s life in 2018 via his wife, esteemed artist Peregrine Honig. Beignet became Mike’s number one road dog, accompanying him across thousands of miles on tour. As Beignet began to age, Dillon expressed the fear of losing his canine companion through his music.

Grief but also celebration of life is the central theme of Mike & Beignet Go to the Zoo, which he initially began writing reflecting on the death of his friends and musical influences, including Ellis Marsalis, patriarch of the famed New Orleans jazz family.

“Originally, the tracks were titled after his deceased friends,” press materials noted. “In a pivot to find light in the dark, Dillon and Honig decided to metaphorically transform those human comrades into animals, reimagining the album as a children’s record about a joyful trip to the zoo with their dog.”

“It had always been my intention to make another layered percussion and vibraphone record. To orchestrate these sounds I love so much into something bold and kaleidoscopic,” Dillon stated. “As I watched so many people in my life transition to the other side over the last several years, the compositions began revealing themselves. I was also aware that our beloved dog Beignet wasn’t going to be with us forever, and mentally preparing myself for that impending loss. So life and the inevitable loss of it pointed towards the idea of this record becoming something conceptual. With my wife Peregrine’s help we ultimately shaped that vision into something joyful.”

The percussionist also detailed lead Mike & Beignet Go to the Zoo single, “Puma and the Spider Monkey,” which features contributions from collaborators Brian Haas (piano, Moog bass, MicroKorg) and Ginny Mac on accordion.

“‘Puma and the Spider Monkey’ was inspired by my love of Cumbia and synthesizers,” Dillon said. “I wrote the song on my MalletKAT with a sound from the Prophet 6. It reminded me of the trips I took with Beignet to Terlingua and the Big Bend area of Texas. While everything else was recorded layer by layer, this was the only track recorded live in the studio with Haas and Ginny.”

Listen to “Puma and the Spider Monkey” below:

Mike & Beignet Go to the Zoo Tracklist:

1. Honey the Peregrine
2. Ellis the Penguin
3. Skippy the Giraffe
4. Hollise the Meerkat
5. Gorilla and Zebra Party
6. Puma and the Spider Monkey
7. Ronald the Rhino
8. Gibby Plays Possum
9. Beignet and the White Peacock
10. Lola the Orangutan
11. Beignet Greets the Owl