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Minneapolis-born Cory Wong is best known for his funky guitar work and touring worldwide playing his original music on the biggest stages. You may have seen him as a guest with the house band on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, as well as a member of Vulfpeck and the Fearless Flyers. Upon meeting Cory, Vulfpeck welcomed him as a frequent collaborator and member of the band, and later the group named their most popular instrumental track “Cory Wong” in tribute. Lighting up the stage in the band everywhere they perform, including most recently at a sold-out Madison Square Garden, he remains a cornerstone of Vulfpeck’s storied gigs. Cory has blossomed into a celebrated artist in his own right, releasing solo albums including last year’s Billboard top 20 record Motivational Music For The Syncopated Soul, Elevator Music for an Elevated Mood and most recently Live In Amsterdam’ With The Metropole Orkest, which charted at #10 on the Billboard Jazz Chart.
CORY WONG ANNOUNCES PODCAST, WONG NOTES, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PREMIER GUITAR; SEASON ONE BEING PRESENTED BY FENDER
PODCAST FEATURES: JOE SATRIANI, BELA FLECK, ERIC JOHNSON, JOHN SCOFIELD, AND MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED
EPISODE 1 WILL AIR NEXT WEEK ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 27 ON ALL STREAMING PLATFORMS
Cory Wong has found his newest role — podcast host. Today, Wong announces that he has teamed up with Premier Guitar to bring you Wong Notes. Being a lifelong “Strat guy,” Wong is honored to have the very first season presented by Fender. While the full lineup hasn’t been fully revealed, listeners can expect some very unique conversations with names like Joe Satriani, Bela Fleck, Eric Johnson, John Scofield, James Valentine, Rob Harris, Molly Tuttle, Sean Hurley, George Benson, Yvette Young, and many more. Episode One with special guest Joe Satriani, will air next week, Wednesday, May 27, everywhere. Each week, Wong will have a long-form conversation with incredible artists about their artistry and process. These aren’t your typical album cycle-style interviews, but rather peer to peer conversations that will open doors you didn’t know you could open. Minneapolis-born Cory Wong is best known for his funky guitar work and touring worldwide playing his original music on the biggest stages. You may have seen him as a guest with the house band on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, as well as a member of Vulfpeck and the Fearless Flyers, who made headlines around the world for their silent debut album Sleepify which earned them enough through Spotify royalties to put on a tour for their fans for free, prompting a permanent change in Spotify’s terms & conditions. Upon meeting Cory, Vulfpeck welcomed him as a frequent collaborator and member of the band, and later the group named their most popular instrumental track “Cory Wong” in tribute. Lighting up the stage in the band everywhere they perform, including most recently at a sold-out Madison Square Garden, he remains a cornerstone of Vulfpeck’s storied gigs. Cory has blossomed into a celebrated artist in his own right, releasing solo albums including last year’s Billboard top 20 record Motivational Music For The Syncopated Soul, Elevator Music for an Elevated Mood and most recently Live In Amsterdam’ With The Metropole Orkest, which charted at #10 on the Billboard Jazz Chart.
All Platforms: https://wongnotes.captivate.fm/listen
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JON BATISTE & CORY WONG RELEASE NEW ALBUM
MEDITATIONS OUT TODAY
Jon Batiste and Cory Wong announced today’s release of Meditations. The collaboration is the result of three nights of raw improvisation in the studio and features performances from Nate Smith and Sam Yahel. Meditation relies on instinct alone. It is a cathartic, spontaneous record derived from the immediate musical and spiritual bond between Wong and Batiste with the intent to heal through music.
STREAM MEDITATIONS
Wong and Batiste met while performing on Live From Here and immediately formed a bond. “It’s really rare to find someone that you connect on the deep musical and personal level,” says Wong. “There’s something unexplainable in art and spirituality that has a way of bringing its history to the surface when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable. When Jon and I play, there’s no ego or competition…we just play… we end up seeing much more of each other as humans… it’s really hard to explain, but it’s something that I’ve had with only a handful of people.”
In the summer for 2019, Wong joined Batiste on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert where they started improvising with each other between soundcheck and in Batiste’s dressing room. It was during these jam sessions that they decided to collaborate on an improvised record. In September of 2020, Wong joined Batiste on The Late Show again. Batiste worked on his album in the morning and after taping The Late Show, they went back to the studio to record together at night. “We recorded the album straight through without stopping,” says Wong. “We wanted to take the whole journey of the album each time.”
On Meditations, Wong says: “The album is called Meditations because of the origin and intent of the music. Jon and I both have a pretty hectic schedule on a regular basis. Music is both our job, and our escape. The intention of making this album was to find ourselves in a healing place with the music. We’re not chasing radio play or a Billboard hit with this particular collection of music…we’re chasing that feeling of freedom and healing that comes from that place that gives us that deep connection on a human and spiritual level. Hopefully the listener will connect with the music in a way that allows them to connect to themselves in a new way.”
Minneapolis-born Cory Wong is best known for his funky guitar work and touring worldwide playing his original music on the biggest stages. You may have seen him as a guest with the house band on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, as well as a member of Vulfpeck and the Fearless Flyers. Upon meeting Cory, Vulfpeck welcomed him as a frequent collaborator and member of the band, and later the group named their most popular instrumental track “Cory Wong” in tribute. Lighting up the stage in the band everywhere they perform, including most recently at a sold-out Madison Square Garden, he remains a cornerstone of Vulfpeck’s storied gigs.
Cory has blossomed into a celebrated artist in his own right, releasing solo albums including last year’s Billboard top 20 record Motivational Music For The Syncopated Soul, Elevator Music for an Elevated Mood and most recently Live In Amsterdam’ With The Metropole Orkest, which charted at #10 on the Billboard Jazz Chart.
Jon Batiste is an American virtuoso pianist, bandleader, composer, record producer, educator and actor. As a teenager, he began self-producing and releasing his music on the internet, as well as performing internationally. His major label debut Hollywood Africans was nominated for a GRAMMY award for Best American Roots Performance in 2019 and, along with his band Stay Human, he is featured nightly on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. His music is featured in the 2020 Disney Pixar film Soul, and his composing and songwriting will be featured in his large scale, genre-melding symphonic work “American Symphony,” set to be performed at Carnegie Hall in 2021.
Jon is committed to the education and mentorship of young musicians. He has led his own Social Music Residency and Mentoring Program sponsored by Chase, as well as master classes throughout the world. He has also led several cultural exchanges, beginning in 2006, while still a teen, with the Netherlands Trust, which brought students from the USA and Holland to perform with him at both The Royal Concert Gebouw and Carnegie Hall.
MEDIATIONS Jon Batiste & Cory Wong with Nate Smith and Sam Yahel
Track list 1. Meditations 2. Prayer 3. Home 4. Relationships 5. Teardrops 6. Lullaby
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CORY WONG RELEASES TRAIL SONGS: DUSK TODAY
SHARES CONTEMPLATIVE ACOUSTIC MUSIC FOR THE FIRST TIME
TRAIL SONGS: DAWN TO COME OUT AUGUST 7
Today, Minneapolis-born Cory Wong, best known for his funky guitar work and touring worldwide playing his original music on the biggest stages, is sharing a rarely heard side of his musical personality with the the release of TRAIL SONGS: DUSK, one of two albums set to come out this summer. TRAIL SONGS: DUSK is the quieter of the two, comprised of seven contemplative, acoustic-based tunes that he wrote while lockdown was descending upon the world. TRAIL SONGS: DUSK is available at all DSPs now. On August 7, Wong will release TRAIL SONGS: DAWN, which is a more rollicking affair, but still made on all acoustic instruments. “I wanted to release two albums over the summer that reflect my personality on acoustic instruments,” Wong says.
LISTEN TO TRAIL SONGS: DUSK
The beginning of lockdown was an emotional time for the guitarist and podcast host who found himself sitting still for the first time in a decade. The music that was to become TRAIL SONGS came pouring forth “The last few years have been a wild ride with Vulfpeck blowing up, and my solo career taking off as well,” continues Wong. “It’s been really fun, but it’s been at a constant high-speed pace. In March, when everything went into lockdown, it was the first time in a long time I was able to just clear the calendar for a few months and take a breath. It kind of felt like there were no rules for an artist’s output…in a good sense. Some people needed time to just absorb everything going on, and others needed to express parts of their humanity through music. I am one of those artists who needed to express my feelings through writing and recording music, but more specifically, songs from sequester. I’ve never been in one place for this long in the last 10 years. It’s crazy, it’s different, but it’s in some ways exactly what i needed. “The music I wrote for this album is nothing like the music I’ve put out before. It’s reflective and contemplative. It’s all acoustic music, recorded on acoustic instruments. I started by writing tunes on the guitar, and then added layers while mocking up demos. And then i sent the demos and scores out to my friends to replace the demo parts. It was really a magical thing to be able to bring some of my friends together to play music from around the world in a time where many of them felt isolated from any sense of community. “This music is meant to be taken in and absorbed through the lens of the listener’s self-reflection. Some people dream of taking a trip to the midwest to find a respite in nature to write. For me, I didn’t need to take a trip. I needed to stop taking trips! The midwest is home for me, and this album reminded me of that.”
CORY WONG TRAIL SONGS: DUSK RELEASE DATE: JULY 10, 2020 Tracklisting: Tomorrow and Forever Blackbird First Time I Saw the Milky Way One Man’s Treasure The Life Cycle of a Butterfly Aurora Trail End
# # #
CORY WONG RELEASES NEW SONG, “BLUEBIRD,” FEAT. CHRIS THILE
NEW ALBUM, TRAIL SONGS: DAWN, OUT AUGUST 7
SISTER RECORD TO THE RECENTLY RELEASED TRAIL SONGS: DUSK
“The two records are examples of what makes Wong special as a musician. They are both rich with his artistic voice and an unparalleled technical proficiency.”
Today, Minneapolis-born Cory Wong, best known for his funky guitar work and touring worldwide playing his original music on the biggest stages, shares “Bluebird” from his upcoming album TRAIL SONGS: DAWN. Following its exclusive premiere on American Songwriter, “Bluebird” featuring mandolinist Chris Thile is available now on all streaming services. TRAIL SONGS: DAWN will come out on August 7, 2020 following the recent release of its sister record, the quiet, contemplative and acoustic-based TRAIL SONGS: DUSK. TRAIL SONGS: DAWN is a more rollicking affair, but was also made on all acoustic instruments. “I wanted to release two albums over the summer that reflect my personality on acoustic instruments,” Wong says.
LISTEN TO “BLUEBIRD”
The beginning of lockdown was an emotional time for the guitarist and podcast host who found himself sitting still for the first time in a decade. The music that was to become TRAIL SONGS came pouring forth.
“The last few years have been a wild ride with Vulfpeck blowing up, and my solo career taking off as well,” continues Wong. “It’s been really fun, but it’s been at a constant high-speed pace. In March, when everything went into lockdown, it was the first time in a long time I was able to just clear the calendar for a few months and take a breath. It kind of felt like there were no rules for an artist’s output…in a good sense. Some people needed time to just absorb everything going on, and others needed to express parts of their humanity through music. I am one of those artists who needed to express my feelings through writing and recording music, but more specifically, songs from sequester. I’ve never been in one place for this long in the last 10 years. It’s crazy, it’s different, but it’s in some ways exactly what i needed. “The music I wrote for this album is nothing like the music I’ve put out before. It’s reflective and contemplative. It’s all acoustic music, recorded on acoustic instruments. I started by writing tunes on the guitar, and then added layers while mocking up demos. And then i sent the demos and scores out to my friends to replace the demo parts. It was really a magical thing to be able to bring some of my friends together to play music from around the world in a time where many of them felt isolated from any sense of community. “This music is meant to be taken in and absorbed through the lens of the listener’s self-reflection. Some people dream of taking a trip to the midwest to find a respite in nature to write. For me, I didn’t need to take a trip. I needed to stop taking trips! The midwest is home for me, and this album reminded me of that.”
CORY WONG TRAIL SONGS: DAWN Release date: August 7, 2020
Tracklisting: Trailhead Bluebird (feat. Chris Thile) Western Winds (feat. Sierra Hull) Perfect Stone For Skipping Race With The River Overcome (feat. Cy Leo) See You On The Other Side
# # #
CORY WONG RELEASES NEW ALBUM, TRAIL SONGS: DAWN
SISTER RECORD TO THE RECENTLY RELEASED TRAIL SONGS: DUSK
“The two records are examples of what makes Wong special as a musician. They are both rich with his artistic voice and an unparalleled technical proficiency.”
Today, Cory Wong releases his fifth album in 2020, TRAIL SONGS: DAWN. The album was heralded last month with the American Songwriter premiere of the song, “Bluebird” featuring Chris Thile. TRAIL SONGS: DAWN follows the July release of its sister record, the quiet, contemplative and acoustic-based TRAIL SONGS: DUSK. TRAIL SONGS: DAWN is a more rollicking affair, but was also made on all acoustic instruments. “I wanted to release two albums over the summer that reflect my personality on acoustic instruments,” Wong says.
LISTEN TO TRAIL SONGS: DAWN
LISTEN TO TRAIL SONGS: DUSK
The beginning of lockdown was an emotional time for the guitarist and podcast host who found himself sitting still for the first time in a decade. The music that was to become TRAIL SONGS came pouring forth. “The last few years have been a wild ride with Vulfpeck blowing up, and my solo career taking off as well,” continues Wong. “It’s been really fun, but it’s been at a constant high-speed pace. In March, when everything went into lockdown, it was the first time in a long time I was able to just clear the calendar for a few months and take a breath. It kind of felt like there were no rules for an artist’s output…in a good sense. Some people needed time to just absorb everything going on, and others needed to express parts of their humanity through music. I am one of those artists who needed to express my feelings through writing and recording music, but more specifically, songs from sequester. I’ve never been in one place for this long in the last 10 years. It’s crazy, it’s different, but it’s in some ways exactly what i needed. “The music I wrote for this album is nothing like the music I’ve put out before. It’s reflective and contemplative. It’s all acoustic music, recorded on acoustic instruments. I started by writing tunes on the guitar, and then added layers while mocking up demos. And then i sent the demos and scores out to my friends to replace the demo parts. It was really a magical thing to be able to bring some of my friends together to play music from around the world in a time where many of them felt isolated from any sense of community. “This music is meant to be taken in and absorbed through the lens of the listener’s self-reflection. Some people dream of taking a trip to the midwest to find a respite in nature to write. For me, I didn’t need to take a trip. I needed to stop taking trips! The midwest is home for me, and this album reminded me of that.”
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CORY WONG TO RELEASE HIS EIGHTH ALBUM OF 2020
NEW SINGLE, “MASSIVE,” FEATURING JOE SATRIANI, OUT TODAY
NEW ALBUM FEATURES WIDE BREADTH OF MUSICIANS INCLUDING:
KIMBRA, TOM MISCH, DAVID T. WALKER, MR. TALKBOX, THE HORNHEADS
AND MORE
THE STRIPED ALBUM ARRIVES ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23
Guitarist extraordinaire Cory Wong announces the release of his eighth album of 2020. The Minneapolis, MN-based jazz funk virtuoso’s The Striped Album, arrives everywhere on Friday, October 23. The self-produced album finds Wong in typical giddy form. Ever the raconteur, Wong invites a variety of special guests to share in the merriment, including Kimbra, Tom Misch and blues great Joe Satriani whose feature on new song “MASSIVE” heralds today’s announcement. “MASSIVE” is available now at all DSPs and streaming services.
LISTEN TO “MASSIVE”
PRE-ORDER THE STRIPED ALBUM
“Joe’s one of the nicest and greatest guitar players I’ve ever worked with,” says Wong. “I had been working on putting together material for my upcoming album and had a song that was perfect for him. Most of my music is pretty upbeat and happier major key songs. This song has a heavy minor key groove that feels like watching George Clinton wearing a pair of wet jeans walking through a knee high mud pit. It’s not really my vibe, but I thought it was still really cool and could fit on my album with the right collaborator. Someone who can bring the heavy rock vibe.
“Joe and I have never met in person. As a matter of fact, we met over Zoom towards the beginning of the lockdown. We stayed in touch and he sent me what has become the most exciting remote tracks anyone has sent over. I loaded his guitar tracks into my ProTools session and just started cracking up. He went SO HARD. I told him the sort of thing I was looking for, and a temp track of me playing some lead guitar lines to outline the melody for him. He came back with the most aggressive and heavy guitar that I’ve ever had on an album. It’s the exact Joe Satriani people think of, and oddly enough, the track ended up being a Cory Wong song that people could expect, but with the heaviest of twists. I had been sitting on this song idea for a couple of years, but couldn’t quite solve the puzzle. As I immediately found out, Joe Satriani was the missing puzzle piece.”
The Striped Album follows the release of two live albums – The Syncopate & Motivate Tour, Set 1 and Set 2; two contemplative acoustic records – Trail Songs: Dusk and its sister record, Trail Songs: Dawn; an ambient album with Jon Batiste – Meditations; a live album with The Metropole Orkest, Live In Amsterdam; and a jazz-funk album, Elevator Music for an Elevated Mood. As if that weren’t enough, he also began hosting a new podcast, “Wong Notes” with Premier Guitar, created a plug-in for in-studio use and started a new recording vlog.
Since 2017, Wong has been touring worldwide playing his original music on the biggest stages. Whether being featured as a guest with the house band on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, or as a member of Vulfpeck and the Fearless Flyers, Wong is a restless creator who doesn’t sit still for long. His 2019 album, Motivational Music For The Syncopated Soul, went top 20 on the Billboard Jazz Chart and top 10 on the Contemporary Jazz Chart. His 2020 album, Elevator Music for an Elevated Mood, went top 20 on the Contemporary Jazz Chart and another 2020 album, Live In Amsterdam’ With The Metropole Orkest, went top 10 on the Classical Crossover Albums Chart.
CORY WONG
THE STRIPED ALBUM
Release date: October 23, 2020
TRACKLIST:
Design (feat. Kimbra)
Clickbait (feat. Hornheads)
Lilypad
Synchronicity (feat. Phoebe Katis)
Smooth Move (feat. Tom Misch)
Ellie
The Pinky Harp (feat. David T. Walker)
MASSIVE (feat. Joe Satriani)
Livin’ It Up (feat. Mr. Talkbox)
The Boardwalk
CONNECT WITH CORY WONG:
OFFICIAL
YOUTUBE
###
CORY WONG RELEASES “DESIGN”
FEATURING SINGER, SONGWRITER AND PRODUCER KIMBRA
DISCO-FUNK SINGLE FROM HIS EIGHTH ALBUM OF 2020
NEW ALBUM FEATURES WIDE BREADTH OF MUSICIANS INCLUDING:
JOE SATRIANI, TOM MISCH, DAVID T. WALKER, MR. TALKBOX, THE HORNHEADS
AND MORE
THE STRIPED ALBUM ARRIVES ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23
Guitarist extraordinaire Cory Wong has released his new single today. “Design” features eclectic New Zealand-based singer, songwriter and producer Kimbra, who first caught the public’s eye with 2012 multi-platinum single “Somebody That I Used To Know” by Gotye. The disco-funk track heralds Wong’s eighth album of 2020, The Striped Album, due out Friday, October 23. The self-produced album finds Wong in typical giddy form, masterfully combining elements of funk, blues and disco, and features a variety of special guests to share in the merriment, including Tom Misch, Joe Satriani and David T. Walker. “Design” is available today on all streaming services and DSPs.
LISTEN TO “DESIGN”
PRE-ORDER THE STRIPED ALBUM
On the collaboration, Wong says:
“Kimbra has been one of my favorite artists for years. She’s always pushing the artistic and creative boundaries with her voice and her production. Her albums always have such a unique and cohesive sound to them. Her ability to explore new spaces has always really inspired me, and her fingerprint in music is iconic.
Her voice and delivery have such musical depth, but also SO MUCH swagger to it. I had written a tune that I was looking for someone to sing over, and she was the first person I thought of. Although we had never met in person, I sent her a message on Instagram of all places. I was pleasantly surprised when she messaged back and said she was a fan of me and really dug the tune that I had sent her. We decided to meet up in LA and write the song together. Her conceptual, lyrical, and melodic ideas just flowed out effortlessly and we recorded the song in an afternoon. We were exploring a few different concepts for the song, but the main one that we both kept coming back to is the idea of the confusion of machine/human. We are in a weird time where we have our ‘digital’ selves, and our ‘analog’ selves. This song is a loosely abstract approach to convincing ourselves that we are human and not machine.”
The Striped Album follows the release of two live albums – The Syncopate & Motivate Tour, Set 1 and Set 2; two contemplative acoustic records – Trail Songs: Dusk and its sister record, Trail Songs: Dawn; an ambient album with Jon Batiste – Meditations; a live album with The Metropole Orkest, Live In Amsterdam; and a jazz-funk album, Elevator Music for an Elevated Mood. As if that weren’t enough, he also began hosting a new podcast, “Wong Notes” with Premier Guitar, created a plug-in for in-studio use and started a new recording vlog.
Since 2017, Wong has been touring worldwide playing his original music on the biggest stages. Whether being featured as a guest with the house band on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, or as a member of Vulfpeck and the Fearless Flyers, Wong is a restless creator who doesn’t sit still for long. His 2019 album, Motivational Music For The Syncopated Soul, went top 20 on the Billboard Jazz Chart and top 10 on the Contemporary Jazz Chart. His 2020 album, Elevator Music for an Elevated Mood, went top 20 on the Contemporary Jazz Chart and another 2020 album, Live In Amsterdam’ With The Metropole Orkest, went top 10 on the Classical Crossover Albums Chart.
CORY WONG
THE STRIPED ALBUM
Release date: October 23, 2020
TRACKLIST:
Design (feat. Kimbra)
Clickbait (feat. Hornheads)
Lilypad
Synchronicity (feat. Phoebe Katis)
Smooth Move (feat. Tom Misch)
Ellie
The Pinky Harp (feat. David T. Walker)
MASSIVE (feat. Joe Satriani)
Livin’ It Up (feat. Mr. Talkbox)
The Boardwalk
CONNECT WITH CORY WONG:
OFFICIAL
YOUTUBE
###
CORY WONG RELEASES “SMOOTH MOVE” FEATURING PRODUCER AND MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST PHENOM TOM MISCH
DOWN-TEMPO FUNK SINGLE HERALDS HIS EIGHTH ALBUM OF 2020
NEW ALBUM FEATURES WIDE BREADTH OF MUSICIANS INCLUDING: JOE SATRIANI, KIMBRA, DAVID T. WALKER, MR. TALKBOX, THE HORNHEADS AND MORE
THE STRIPED ALBUM ARRIVES ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23
Guitarist virtuoso Cory Wong has released his new single, “Smooth Move,” featuring producer and multi-instrumentalist Tom Misch. “Smooth Move” heralds Wong’s eighth album of 2020, The Striped Album, due out Friday, October 23. The down-temp track follows the disco-funk single “Design” featuring New Zealand producer, singer and songwriter Kimbra and lead single “MASSIVE” featuring guitar legend Joe Satriani.
The self-produced album finds Wong in typical giddy form, masterfully combining elements of funk, blues and disco, and features a variety of special guests to share in the merriment, including Kimbra, Joe Satriani and David T. Walker. “Smooth Move” is available today on all streaming services and DSPs.
LISTEN TO “SMOOTH MOVE”
PRE-ORDER THE STRIPED ALBUM
LISTEN TO “DESIGN”
LISTEN TO “MASSIVE”
On the collaboration with Misch, Wong says:
“Working with Tom Misch is always really fun. We come from such different backgrounds in influence and approach, but our styles blend so well together.
He started playing music by programming and beat making; I started by playing in a band. We met each other through the guitar community on the internet and had a mutual admiration for each other’s playing. He came to Los Angeles for a writing retreat a couple of years ago and said, “Hey man, I’m in town if you wanna write and record something together.” I went over to his Airbnb and 30 minutes after meeting each other we recorded the song “Cosmic Sans” from my album Motivational Music for the Syncopated Soul. I was on tour in the UK this past February and I had a couple of days off and some creative ideas in my head. I had written a tune that was basically done except for a melody over the B-Section. Tom said he’d love to come hang and play on it and that he had an idea in mind for me to play on one of his songs. AGAIN! 30 minutes after he got to the studio, we had recorded “Smooth Move” for my new album!
I love the idea of relying on our instincts. I think that’s where we get into our real primal self as creatives and musicians. We played the tune down once to let Tom vibe over it and then he and I settled on a melody for him to play and we hit record! Also, when I say we went to the studio, that’s a little generous of a term for the space we recorded in. It was actually a tiny rehearsal space that our friend has in London that’s probably 8’x12′ and barely fit the six of us in the room. We had to adjust our guitars so we weren’t hitting each other with them because we were so close!
There’s something about the two of us playing together that feels so natural and free of agenda. Since we both do such different things on the instrument, and we have mutual respect for each other, there’s no ego and there’s nothing to prove. We can just sit down and play music together. It’s hard not to imagine what it would be like if we actually spent a week together in a real studio!”
The Striped Album follows the release of two live albums – The Syncopate & Motivate Tour, Set 1 and Set 2; two contemplative acoustic records – Trail Songs: Dusk and its sister record, Trail Songs: Dawn; an ambient album with Jon Batiste – Meditations; a live album with The Metropole Orkest, Live In Amsterdam; and a jazz-funk album, Elevator Music for an Elevated Mood. As if that weren’t enough, he also began hosting a new podcast, “Wong Notes” with Premier Guitar, created a plug-in for in-studio use and started a new recording vlog.
Since 2017, Wong has been touring worldwide playing his original music on the biggest stages. Whether being featured as a guest with the house band on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, or as a member of Vulfpeck and the Fearless Flyers, Wong is a restless creator who doesn’t sit still for long. His 2019 album, Motivational Music For The Syncopated Soul, went top 20 on the Billboard Jazz Chart and top 10 on the Contemporary Jazz Chart. His 2020 album, Elevator Music for an Elevated Mood, went top 20 on the Contemporary Jazz Chart and another 2020 album, Live In Amsterdam’ With The Metropole Orkest, went top 10 on the Classical Crossover Albums Chart.
CORY WONG
THE STRIPED ALBUM
Release date: October 23, 2020
TRACKLIST:
Design (feat. Kimbra)
Clickbait (feat. Hornheads)
Lilypad
Synchronicity (feat. Phoebe Katis)
Smooth Move (feat. Tom Misch)
Ellie
The Pinky Harp (feat. David T. Walker)
MASSIVE (feat. Joe Satriani)
Livin’ It Up (feat. Mr. Talkbox)
The Boardwalk
CONNECT WITH CORY WONG:
OFFICIAL
YOUTUBE
###
CORY WONG IS BACK WITH HIS EIGHTH ALBUM OF 2020
THE STRIPED ALBUM OUT TODAY
FEATURES WIDE RANGE OF MUSICIANS INCLUDING: JOE SATRIANI, KIMBRA, TOM MISCH, DAVID T. WALKER, MR. TALKBOX, THE HORNHEADS, AND MORE
THE STRIPED ALBUM IS AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE TODAY
Today, guitarist extraordinaire Cory Wong has released his eighth album of 2020, The Striped Album. The self-produced album finds Wong in typical giddy form, masterfully combining elements of funk, blues and disco, and features a variety of special guests to share in the merriment, including Kimbra, Joe Satriani and Tom Misch. To celebrate the release, Wong will release a three-episode series on his own “Wong Notes” podcast with Premier Guitar detailing the creative and technical process behind the album. The Striped Album is available today on all streaming services and DSPs.
STREAM/DOWNLOAD THE STRIPED ALBUM
The Striped Album is a culmination of a phenomenal year of musical exploration for Wong, blending elements from each of his diverse releases from 2020. Wong kicked off the year with jazz-funk album, Elevator Music for an Elevated Mood, followed by a live album with The Metropole Orkest, Live In Amsterdam. The raucous funk-fueled glee that runs rampant in these releases and his recent live albums – The Syncopate & Motivate Tour, Set 1 and Set 2 – fuels various tracks on The Striped Album, like “Design” featuring Kimbra and “Livin’ It Up” featuring Mr. Talk Box.
The whirling track “Ellie” draws from Wong’s work on his two contemplative acoustic records – Trail Songs: Dusk and its sister record, Trail Songs: Dawn. Down-tempo funk songs like “MASSIVE” featuring Joe Satriani and “Smooth Move” featuring Tom Misch highlight Wong’s mastery of improvisation, as seen in his collaboration with Jon Batiste, Meditations.
LISTEN TO “SMOOTH MOVE”
LISTEN TO “DESIGN”
LISTEN TO “MASSIVE”
Beyond his eight album releases from 2020, the year also found Wong hosting his new podcast, “Wong Notes,” with Premier Guitar, creating a plug-in for in-studio use and starting a new recording vlog.
Since 2017, Wong has been touring worldwide playing his original music on the biggest stages. Whether being featured as a guest with the house band on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, or as a member of Vulfpeck and the Fearless Flyers, Wong is a restless creator who doesn’t sit still for long. His 2019 album, Motivational Music For The Syncopated Soul, went top 20 on the Billboard Jazz Chart and top 10 on the Contemporary Jazz Chart. His 2020 album, Elevator Music for an Elevated Mood, went top 20 on the Contemporary Jazz Chart and another 2020 album, Live In Amsterdam’ With The Metropole Orkest, went top 10 on the Classical Crossover Albums Chart.
CORY WONG
THE STRIPED ALBUM
Release date: October 23, 2020
TRACKLIST:
Design (feat. Kimbra)
Clickbait (feat. Hornheads)
Lilypad
Synchronicity (feat. Phoebe Katis)
Smooth Move (feat. Tom Misch)
Ellie
The Pinky Harp (feat. David T. Walker)
MASSIVE (feat. Joe Satriani)
Livin’ It Up (feat. Mr. Talkbox)
The Boardwalk
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CORY WONG RAISES THE CURTAIN ON CORY AND THE WONGNOTES
GRAMMY® AWARD-NOMINATED GUITARIST/PRODUCER/SONGWRITER/HOST
UNVEILS INNOVATIVE NEW VARIETY SHOW WEB SERIES
FIRST OF EIGHT ALL-NEW EPISODES FEATURING MUSICAL PERFORMANCES,
SKETCH COMEDY AND INTERVIEWS PREMIERES TODAY
VIA YOUTUBE AT 8 AM ET
NEW ALBUM, CORY AND THE WONGNOTES, DUE FRIDAY FEBRUARY 5
FIRST SINGLE, “COMING BACK AROUND (FEAT. CODY FRY),”
DEBUTS TOMORROW
Photo credit: Ines Lopez
“Cory Wong speaks the same way he plays the guitar. Rhythmic and energetic, and with purpose and intent. It’s no wonder he’s become a next generation guitar hero, a go to player for Vulfpeck, and a popular podcaster.”
“Funk legend James Brown used to call himself ‘the hardest working man in show business.’ In 2020, that guy is Cory Wong, the modern funk master.”
GRAMMY® Award-nominated songwriter, producer, and guitarist extraordinaire Cory Wong has announced the premiere of Cory and the Wongnotes, an inventive new online video series showcasing live performances, original sketch comedy, special guests, interviews and much more. Created and hosted by the seemingly inexhaustible Wong, the eight-episode series premieres today exclusively via Wong’s hugely popular YouTube Channel, with new episodes set to debut each and every Thursday.
“I’ve always been a fan of late-night TV,” says Wong, “specifically late-night talk shows. But as a musician, I’ve selfishly wanted more focus on the music and the musicians! So I figured I’d start my own show that does it…For years I have worked as a bandleader and music director for other projects, but doing it for my own show has been a real pleasure. Beyond the musical aspect, it has been a creatively energizing endeavor to write and act in sketches, and to take the wheel as host of the show. This is the most ambitious and creatively fulfilling project for me. I brought in some of my best friends and musicians that I know to create together and to interview them about their process.”
EPISODE 1 OF CORY AND THE WONGNOTES
Cory and the Wongnotes heralds the upcoming release of Wong’s first new album of 2021. CORY AND THE WONGNOTES arrives on Friday, February 5. The album – which sees Wong backed by an 11-piece big band featuring a full six-member horn section along with vocalists Cody Fry and Antwaun Stanley – includes the ebullient first single, “Coming Back Around (Feat. Cody Fry),” which is available at all DSPs and streaming services this Friday, January 15.
CORY AND THE WONGNOTES
SEASON 1 TRAILER
A true renaissance man and artistic raconteur, Cory and the Wongnotes sees Cory Wong continuing to make his mark as a prolific, once-in-a-lifetime artist and personality. 2020 saw the Minneapolis-based musician presenting a remarkable series of eight original albums, an extraordinarily diverse range of releases spanning an equally stunning selection of sounds, styles and musical approaches. The year kicked off with the jazz-funk odyssey, ELEVATOR MUSIC FOR AN ELEVATED MOOD, which ascended to the top 20 on Billboard’s “Contemporary Jazz Albums” chart upon its January release. Wong continued to unfurl new music throughout 2020, including the GRAMMY® Award-nominated MEDITATIONS, an improvised collaboration with longtime friend and musical associate Jon Batiste, a pair of contemplative acoustic records (TRAIL SONGS: DUSK and TRAIL SONGS: DAWN), and multiple live recordings like LIVE IN AMSTERDAM, the latter of which features the Netherlands’ GRAMMY® Award-winning Metropole Orkest and reached the top 10 on Billboard’s “Classical Crossover Albums” chart. Wong’s astonishing run of new releases culminated with THE STRIPED ALBUM, a typically masterful marriage of myriad musical genres highlighted by such special guests as Kimbra, Tom Misch, Joe Satriani, and six-string soul icon David T. Walker. Indeed, THE STRIPED ALBUM was met by widespread critical applause, with American Songwriter declaring it to be “a slamming 10-song record filled with funky rhythms, precise and infectious guitar riffs, in the pocket tight performances, horn-fueled jams and stop on a dime breakdown sections. This record pops through the speakers and begs you to not move your body.”
As if all that weren’t enough, 2020 also saw Wong presenting his popular podcast, Wong Notes (presented in partnership with Premier Guitar), as well as creating the innovative Archetype: Cory Wong plugin for Neural DSP Technologies and debuting such instructional vlogs as On The One and How To Musician with Cory Wong, both streaming now at Wong’s official YouTube channel.
Known far and wide as a restless creator and visionary musician, Cory Wong has been hailed since 2017 for his distinctly original approach and dazzling live performances. From his work as a member of Vulfpeck and The Fearless Flyers, to collaborations with Dave Koz and guest appearances on CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Minnesota Public Radio’s Live From Here with Chris Thile, Wong has consistently proven himself a masterful guitarist and impossible-to-categorize artist adept at blending a variety of genres into his own unique sound. 2017 saw Wong make his solo debut with CORY WONG AND THE GREEN SCREEN BAND, followed by 2018’s THE OPTIMIST and 2019’s MOTIVATIONAL MUSIC FOR THE SYNCOPATED SOUL, both of which reached the Top 20 on Billboard’s “Jazz Albums” chart.
CORY WONG AND THE WONGNOTES marks the first album in what will undoubtedly be another busy year for the indefatigable Wong. An array of new music releases are slated through 2021 – for updates and more, please visit
CORY WONG AND THE WONGNOTES
Release Date: February 5, 2021
Track List:
1. Cory and The Wongnotes
2. Merci
3. Heist
4. Tiki Hut Strut
5. Coming Back Around (Feat. Cody Fry)
6. Starfire
7. United (Feat. Antwaun Stanely)
8. Headin’ Down To Bunkers
9. Lee
10. Bluebird (Feat. Eddie Barbash)
11. Stevie Wonder Medley (Feat. The Hornheads)
CONNECT WITH CORY WONG:
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