David Hillyard

Biography by Mike DaRonco Having gotten together in 1997 for the sake creating a sound that combed Jamaican rooted reggae, ska, and jazz with added solo improvisations, Dave Hillyard recruited a number of musicians to help him complete this project. Resulting in Dave Hillyard and the Rocksteady Seven, his backing band would include Will Clark (trombone), Jermy Mushlin (trumpet), Mike Bitz (bass), Vic Ruggerio (piano), Dave Hahn (guitar), Eddie Ocampo (drums), and Larry Macdonald (percussion). Along with Hillyard himself on the tenor and soprano saxophone, influences such as John Coltrane, the Skatalites, Coleman Hawkins, and Sidney Bechet were captured on his 1999 debut album Playtime; which was released through the Epitaph subdivision of Hellcat Records.