Dave Hillyard

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David Hillyard
Background information
Birth name	David Hillyard
Origin	San Diego, California
Genres	Reggae, Ska, Rocksteady
Occupation(s)	Musician, Songwriter
Instruments	Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone
Years active	1986–present
Labels	Hellcat, , , Moon Ska Records,
Associated acts	The Slackers The Rocksteady Seven Hepcat Stubborn All-Stars The Bluegreens Rancid
Website	Official Site

"Disco" Dave Hillyard is a tenor saxophonist originating from San Diego, California. He has performed in groups such as The Slackers, The Rocksteady Seven, The Donkey Show, Hepcat, Stubborn All-Stars,^[1] and has guested with the likes of Rancid, Victor Rice, Skinnerbox NYC and . He is a skilled improviser and composer/arranger with more than thirty album credits to his name.

Biography[]

Tenor and soprano saxophonist David Hillyard is one of the innovators of the American ska scene and is at the forefront of the jazz and reggae scene. The talented musician-arranger-composer has been instrumental in creating and re-popularizing the sound of "" and "Ska Jazz" and has been a professional musician for over 20 years.

At 17 years old, Hillyard played with The Donkey Show, one of California’s pioneering ska bands. He also played with Hepcat, which went on to become one of the biggest ska acts of the 1990s. He has also performed with ska groups like the Stubborn All-Stars, reggae artists like Cornell Campbell, Congo ‘Ashanti’ Roy and Johnny Osbourne, jazz artists like Roy Campbell, Jr., blues artists like , and even soul singers like Archie Bell, although he is best known for his work with the Slackers beginning in 1991. He continues to be a key member of that organization and has appeared on their 10 cd releases and thousands of live gigs, currently averaging about 120-150 gigs a year in the USA, Canada, Japan, Latin America and Europe.

Discography[]

With The Rocksteady Seven[]

• Playtime - (1999), Hellcat Records^[2]
• United Front - (2003),
• Way out East: Live at The Kassablanca - (2007),
• Get Back Up! - (2009),
• The Giver - (2018), ORG Music

With Glen Adams[]

• Plays Hits of Jackpot - (2008),

With The Slackers[]

• Better Late Than Never - (1996), Moon Ska Records
• Redlight - (1997), Hellcat Records
• The Question - (1998), Hellcat Records
• Live at Ernesto's - (2000), Hellcat Records
• Wasted Days - (2001), Hellcat Records
• The Slackers and Friends - (2002),
• Close My Eyes - (2003), Hellcat Records
• - (2004),
• International War Criminal - (2004),
• - (2004),
• An Afternoon in Dub - (2005)
• - (2005)
• Slackness - (2005),
• Peculiar - (2006), Hellcat Records
• - (2007),
• The Boss Harmony Sessions (2007)
• Self Medication (2008) ^[3]
• (2010)
• The Slackers (2016), Brainlab Groove

With Hepcat[]

• Out of Nowhere - (1993), Moon Ska Records

With Stubborn All-Stars[]

• Open Season - (1995), Stubborn Records
• Back With A New Batch - (1997), Stubborn Records

With The Donkey Show[]

• Bali Island - (1988)
• The Ska Parade: Runnin' Naked Thru The Cornfield - (1997)
• Just Can't Get Enough Of... — (2000)

References[]

External links[]

• "03 – DAVE HILLYARD – CONVERSATIONS ON A REVIVALIST MOVEMENT", Ska Blah Blah
• "Ska History Month: Interview with Dave Hillyard", Music is our Occupation, April 7, 2008
• MySpace Profile: David Hillyard & The Rocksteady 7
• Allmusic Biography Entry