Dale Head & The Mindwinder Orchestra - Swing on the Rocks (2018)

Dale Head releases his latest album, Swing on the Rocks, which expands the Great American Songbook with 14 classic rock songs re-imagined in an innovative big band format. Swing on the Rocks explores “soundscapes” in a nod back to the progressive rock of the 1970s. Headphone icons on the album notes indicate where these features enhance the listener’s experience.

Dale's background is in rock music, dating back to Montrose, The Beach Boys, and Boston in the mid 1970s, as well as his own 1995 solo album MindWinder. Head follows up his 2015 release Swing Straight Up (a classic big band jazz album) with Swing On The Rocks' epic collection of songs, spanning the genre from “13 Women” (the A-side of Bill Haley’s 1954 hit “Rock Around The Clock”) to the 1997 Grammy-winning song “Criminal” by Fiona Apple.

Each song on Swing on the Rocks is a unique take on a well-known rock classic from artists such as Van Halen, Rush, Van Morrison, and the Eagles. Enlisting phenomenal arranger Rick Walsh (who worked with iconic artists like Linda Ronstadt and Metallica in its legendary San Francisco Symphony performance), Dale uses his powerful and dynamic vocals to reinvigorate these rock classics. On Swing on the Rocks, Dale is surrounded by an 18-piece big band style orchestra that features amazing guitar solos and the impressive stylings of Paul Shaffer (of the CBS Orchestra on Late Night with Dave Letterman) on the Hammond B3 organ throughout, creating a riveting roller coaster of a musical ride. According to Steve Price, one of the founding members of Pablo Cruise, “this album is a wonderful blend of big band and rock, with just a hint of blues.”