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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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