Wong, Cory: The Power Station Tour (East Coast)

It’s not often that an artist you’ve never heard a single note from can blow you away live. I had that experience this past summer when I saw him live at the 2023 Saratoga Jazz Festival. The music was infectious and vital; Wong and his band just bring it. It made sense to me that I start with a live release in an attempt to recreate that day. Wong is a bundle of energy on stage, interacting with band members, yelling out, and plain fun to watch

2023’s The Power Station Tour (East Coast) is chock full of driving beats, funk guitar, and groove. If the opening “Flyers Direct� doesn’t have you up dancing (and I don’t dance), nothing will. It’s immediately followed by “Ketosis� which is full of amazing horn lines, and the band is on fire. This is joyful, soulful, and absolutely powerful music. “Lunchtime� ramps the energy level back up with those powerful horns and driving Rhythm section. For me, the up-tempo horn led songs are what captivate me. You have a mix of slower tracks, but everything seems to have a hook, and for mostly instrumental music, that’s rare.

Three songs feature collaboration with the female vocal group Trousdale, and produces terrific results. All three songs are so catchy, they easily could have made Top 40 radio. Bassist Victor Wooten is brought on board for most of the second half of the album, a spectacular stretch of songs and performances; it is my favorite part of the album, it’s the shit! Overall, there are a few songs that are not up to the best tracks here, but that in no way hinders what is an album full of fantastic music. Check out Cory Wong!

Track List:
1. Flyers Direct
2. Ketosis
3. Smooth Move
4. Disco De Lune
5. Lunchtime
6. Meditation
7. Crisis
8. Golden
9. Synchronicity
10. Direct Flyte
11. Welcome 2 Minneapolis
12. Turbo
13. Feed the Id
14. Two Timers
15. Jax
16. Stomping Grounds
17. You Got To Be You

Added: October 10th 2023
Reviewer: Eric Porter
Score:
Related Link: Artist Website
Hits: 276
Language: english

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