On October 2 and 3, 2023, whirling funk guitarist and self-proclaimed “hype-man” Cory Wong will be at Paradiso twice. The 37-year-old guitarist from Minneapolis began his glittering career in the band Dr. Mambo’s Combo, along with several of Prince’s band members. This did not go unnoticed: he was already picked up by funk band Vulfpack and well-known musicians such as Gene Simmons, Questlove, Bootsy Collins and Blake Shelton, all of whom were in line to work with him. Cory Wong is known for his versatility and charismatic stage presence: he is at home in the genres of jazz, pop, R&B, funk, soul and rock and everything in between, and during live shows, he invariably and good-humoredly steals the show with his infectious and positive energy.
Cory Wong: ”For me, it’s all about the listener’s experience. I want them to have a visceral response like, ‘I feel better,’ ‘That was really fun,’ or ‘I got to escape for an hour.’ If I can get one person to feel good this way, it’s a success'”.
Antwaun Stanley
Especially for the occasion, Cory Wong is bringing his old friend Antwaun Stanley to Paradiso. Stanley is an R&B singer who can be heard on ten songs by Vulfpeck and four songs by Cory Wong, including Wong’s ‘Work It Out’ and Vulfpeck’s ‘Funky Duck’.