DINNER IS SERVED: THE RETURN OF DAVID HILLYARD & THE ROCKSTEADY 7
Three years in the making, Home For Dinner arrives like a long-awaited meal, warm, generous, and bursting with flavour. David Hillyard, the saxophonist who helped shape The Slackers’ sound, brings his beloved New York collective back with a record that sits boldly at the crossroads of Jamaican rhythm and jazz tradition.
Out on all platforms via Org Music, the album arrives pressed on a striking transparent red double vinyl LP.
The story behind the album is as communal as its spirit. Marc Critelli captured 35 songs over three marathon days at Shillelagh Studios, with ten musicians working in shifts.
Hillyard then spent a year layering overdubs and pulling in collaborators from his extended musical family across The Slackers, The Aggrolites, and Hepcat, before handing the sprawling sessions to Roger Rivas (The Aggrolites) to shape into a cohesive hour-long set.
THE ONLY REQUIREMENT WAS IT SOUNDED LIKE IT CAME FROM THE HEART
The cast is formidable. Legendary Jamaican percussionist Larry McDonald anchors everything. Chris Murray, BNegão, and Felipe Machado contribute vocals. Vic Ruggiero and Mike Sarason add keyboard colour. The late Greg Lee offers backing vocals, a cherished and deeply felt presence throughout.
Lead single Until Then balances classic ska rhythm with melodic grace. The title track fizzes with buoyant horns. Elsewhere, reinventions of Mack the Knife and Grazing in the Grass feel fresh yet faithful.
“The only requirement was that I loved it,” says Hillyard. “That it sounded like it came from the heart.”
It does. Pull up a chair.
TRACKLIST
01. This Day (Soul of Africa)
02. Home For Dinner
03. Grazing In The Grass
04. Until Then ft Chris Murray
05. Jackpot
06. Let’s Get Lost
07. Ca Purange
08. Death In The Arena
09. Jazz Ska
10. Humungous Blues
11. Tenha Fe ft Felipe Machao & BNegão
12. Mack The Knife
13. Do It Good
ABOUT DAVID HILLYARD & THE ROCKSTEADY 7
David Hillyard & The Rocksteady 7 fuse Jamaican rhythm with jazz improvisation and New York ska grit. Formed in the mid-90s around Hillyard’s tenor sax, their albums spanning Playtime to Get Back Up! blend deep horn arrangements with Latin colour and soul.
A revolving cast of collaborators keeps the sound fresh. Hillyard remains one of the most distinctive saxophonists to emerge from the American ska revival.
