DAVID HILLYARD & THE ROCKSTEADY 7 Releasing ‘Home For Dinner’

ACCLAIMED NYC SKA AND JAZZ COLLECTIVE DAVID HILLYARD & THE ROCKSTEADY 7 RELEASING NEW ALBUM HOME FOR DINNER

“Until Then” (feat. Chris Murray) and title track out now; Full album arrives February 20

Order The LP Here

David Hillyard & The Rocksteady 7 return with Home For Dinner, a vibrant new album that finds the long-running New York–based collective operating at the crossroads of Jamaican rhythm and jazz tradition. Formed in 1992 by saxophonist David Hillyard, best known for his work with The Slackers, the group has spent decades refining a sound built on deep groove, melodic sophistication, and the communal spirit of classic ska.

Home For Dinner was co-produced and mixed by Roger Rivas (The Aggrolites) and reflects the band’s long-standing, open-door approach and the rotating-cast dynamic that has defined their live shows for decades.

Anchored by legendary percussionist Larry McDonald, the record features contributions from an expansive group of collaborators, including guest vocalists Chris Murray, BNegão, and Felipe Machado; keyboard work from Rivas, Vic Ruggiero, and Mike Sarason; and backing vocals from Chiquis Lozoya and the late Greg Lee, drawing from the extended musical family of The Slackers, The Aggrolites, and Hepcat.

The album’s first single, “Until Then” (feat. Chris Murray) highlights the band’s ability to balance classic ska rhythm with thoughtful, melodic songwriting. The album’s title track, “Home For Dinner,” is an upbeat, traditional ska instrumental driven by buoyant horns and a joyful rhythmic pulse. Both tracks are streaming now.

Across the album, Hillyard pairs original compositions with inventive interpretations of songs like “Ca Purange,” “Mack the Knife,” “Mi Estrella,” and “Grazing in the Grass,” reimagined through the band’s distinctive rhythmic lens. The result is a record that feels celebratory and deeply human, music made to move bodies, lift spirits, and bring people together.

Home For Dinner will be released on February 20 via Org Music on LP, CD, and digital formats.

Order here: https://orgmusic.com/products/home-for-dinner

Vinyl format includes a double LP pressed on transparent red color vinyl and double sided insert.

TRACKLIST:

1. This Day (Soul of Africa)
2. Home For Dinner
3. Grazing In The Grass
4. Until Then (ft. Chris Murray)
5. Jackpot
6. Let’s Get Lost
7. Ca Purange
8. Death In The Arena
9. Jazz Ska
10. Humungous Blues
11. Tenha Fe (ft. Felipe Machao & BNegão)
12. Mack The Knife
13. Do It Good

Produced by David Hillyard and Roger Rivas
Mixed by Roger Rivas at Rivas Studios
Mastered by Mitch Rackin
Recorded in Cranford, New Jersey by Marc Critelli at Shillelagh Studios
Cover Photo by Gingersnaps aka Danielle Rose Malvaux
Design and Layout by Jeremy Fury

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