Cory Wong – Live in London

Released May 2024

The relentless funk locomotive that is Cory Wong KILLS this live set recorded in Birmingham, UK in October of last year. The Minneapolis native and his razor sharp musical comrades tear through this set in a turbo charged funk frenzy, taking no prisoners along the way.

Cory Wong – guitar, band leader
Antwaun Stanley – vocals
Vincen Garcia – bass
Kevin Gastonguay – keys
Petar Janjic – drums
Alex Bone – alto sax, soprano sax
Kenni Holmen – tenor sax, soprano sax, flute
Dan White – bari sax, bass clarinet
Jay Webb – trumpet, flugelhorn
Michael Nelson – trombone, horn arranger

What’s especially impressive here are the numerous hurdles he faced to even make this tour happen, which surely would have resulted in ticket refunds for a less audacious artist.

First off, a bad fall incapacitated him, and his injuries prompted his doctor to recommend cancelling the tour. Wong persisted, and forged ahead, even hitting the stage wearing a corrective medical boot. To make matters worse, a last minute text informed Wong that he would be sans a bass player, as his regular bassist, “Sonny T’, had to cancel due to unforeseen circumstances.

Spanish bass player extraordinaire Vincen Garcia, who had once offered his services if ever needed,was called upon with very short notice to fill the low end void. And he does just that …quite seamlessly I might add.

The band makes it’s opening statement with the amply named “Assassin”.

With it’s lightning fast tempos, exacting horn hits, and fiery solos, it’s evident from the get go these guys don’t require any warming up. Driving the train is the super tight rhythm section courtesy of Garcia and drummer Petar Janjic.

The sizzling track also gives early indication that Wong and company tend to avoid any distinct parameters in regards to genre (think Earth, Wind and Fire meets Bruno Mars, with a dash of Tower of Power via Frank Zappa). Ridiculous?..maybe on paper…but these guys breathe more fire into their arrangements than a Tolkien Dragon.

Next up, the breezy “Lets Go “ hangs on Wong’s guitar riff intro, settling into a melodic fray punctuated by keyboardist Kevin Gastonguay’s “ Fender Rhodes-ish” sonic colorings.Once again the horns chime in with snap tight  hits throughout. The tune glides along effortlessly amidst the accented pushes and pulls.

“Bluebird” comes crashing through the gate like the Jackson 5 at 45 RPMs (accelerated tempo for you Millennials).

Phenomenal kit work here by Janjic, navigating the rhythmic twists and turns with unhindered aplomb. Again, Wong’s arrangements take the listener deep into the dominion of progressive funk, meaning, to this reviewer, fewer rules.

A perfect example of this style point occurs in the standout track “Smokeshow”.

The tune is a deep, grooving showcase that serves up plenty for the various band members to chew on.  An unaccompanied sax solo by Alex Bone starts things off, followed by a stunning guitar solo by Wong.

We are then again reminded of the stellar capabilities of bassist Garcia. But it’s keyboardist Gastonguay’s solo that breaks  the rules here. He starts out with a funky George Duke-esque accented romp,..with the band simmering behind him with a pulsating, syncopated groove.

Halfway through the solo, he abruptly switches to classical based arpeggio’s up and down the keys, while the band keeps the unfaltering initial rhythm intact. The end result sounds like someone performing a classical piano concerto with a gritty funk band playing in the next room. It shouldn’t work…and yet…it provides one of the most musically impressive moments of the entire set.

Wong is later joined by vocalist Antwaun Stanley, who fires up the crowd with his distinctive voice and crowd warming stage antics.

The sound production throughout is worthy of mention as well, keeping things clean and tight..a feat in itself considering the numerous musical components at play here.

Cory Wong may not be a household name, but if tight, edgy adventurous funky grooves are your thing, he should definitely be a name in YOUR household.

Highly Recommended!!!

Steve Obrien