Released today, The Golden Hour captures the spontaneous combustion and wind in your hair carefree coolness that’s possible when musical masters of two different generations venture fearlessly off their regular career paths and hightail it into a live-in-the-studio setting with a powerhouse ensemble – including a five-piece horn section arranged by Prince’s chief horn arranger, Michael Nelson – to create a momentum-shifting project.
To celebrate its release, veteran saxophonist Koz and hipster funk/jam band guitarist Wong will play the entire album live from the rooftop of a houseboat on Minneapolis’ St. Croix River at sunset, accompanied by Wong’s 10-piece-band. The livestream concert can be seen on Looped tomorrow, June 12. Tickets, which can be purchased HERE, include a digital copy of The Golden Hour.
Minneapolis’ Star Tribune observed, “Koz and Wong is a seemingly unlikely pairing, as the guitarist noted last summer when Koz joined him onstage at Crooners in Fridley: ‘It's like Shaggy and Sting. Why are they doing stuff together?’ If the album is anything like that show, The Golden Hour should be a mix of finesse, funk and unstoppable passion.”
The album’s infectious first single, “Family Reunion,” was #1 Most Added at Smooth Jazz radio for two consecutive weeks. Praising “Getaway Car,” American Songwriter noted, “The jazzy and funky piece has a freeing, summer vibe, including everything from wild horns to groovy guitar." Rage Monthly said, “[‘Getaway Car’ is] a mix of Peter Gunn courtesy of Henry Mancini splashed with a bit of Herb Alpert and ‘Love Machine.’” Guitar World hailed “Today” as “seriously soulful.”
The video for the title track, which premiered earlier today on YouTube, gives fans a glimpse of the live-in-the-studio sessions for The Golden Hour. View HERE.
“It’s all about exploration,” adds Dave Koz. “The Golden Hour is on the edge of the day and night, just like we’re both on the edge of what is expected of us at this stage of our careers.”
Koz first became aware of Wong after the young guitarist urged fans to tag their posts from Wong’s live shows with #DAVEKOZ as part of his sly plot to secure an invite to perform on a Koz cruise. Shortly thereafter, Wong found himself on deck as an entertainer on a “Dave Koz & Friends At Sea” voyage. Now he’s a full-blown Koz collaborator – in addition to playing electric guitar on The Golden Hour, Wong produced the album and co-wrote 10 of its 11 tracks.
"The most beautiful part of what we have created on The Golden Hour is that while we’re both on the edge of our respective music scenes, we both brought to the session the energy of our live shows, which are very similar in a lot of ways,” says Cory Wong.
Koz will be returning to the road this summer with a fresh incarnation of his popular Summer Horns tour franchise. Wong will be touring Europe and the U.S. in the fall.
About Dave Koz:
In a recording career that spans three decades, saxophonist Dave Koz has racked up an astoundingly impressive array of honors and achievements: nine GRAMMY nominations, 12 No. 1 albums on Billboard’s Current Contemporary Jazz Albums chart, numerous world tours, performances for multiple U.S. presidents, a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and more. A Platinum-selling artist, the California native is also known as a humanitarian, entrepreneur, radio host, and instrumental music advocate.
His 2020 album, A New Day -- released exactly 30 years to the week after his very first album came out – marked Dave’s first album of original material in 10 years and his 20th overall album. Conceived and recorded completely under the umbrella of COVID-19, with the express purpose of providing some musical comfort in these extremely uneasy times, it featured special guests Brian McKnight, Antwaun Stanley (Vulfpeck), Meshell Ndegeocello, Bob James, Marc Antoine, Rick Braun, Jeff Lorber, Chris "Big Dog" Davis and others. The album reached the No. 1 position on numerous jazz charts, including iTunes and Amazon, and delivered two back-to-back No. 1 singles: “Side By Side” ft. David Sanborn and “Dr. Norm” ft. Paul Jackson Jr. Koz will be touring the U.S. this summer.
About Cory Wong:
GRAMMY® Award-nominated songwriter, producer, and guitarist extraordinaire Cory Wong is a masterful musician and impossible-to-categorize artist adept at blending a variety of genres into his own unique sound. From his work as a member of Vulfpeck and The Fearless Flyers, to collaborations with Dave Koz and Jon Batiste, the Minneapolis, MN-based Wong has proven a restless creator and visionary musician, hailed for his distinctly original approach and dazzling live performances. 2020 saw Wong release an extraordinarily diverse series of eight original albums, spanning a stunning selection of sounds and musical styles. This year has already seen the premiere of his inventive new YouTube musical variety series, Cory and the Wongnotes, as well as an original album collecting music from the series’ first season backed by his explosive new 11-piece big band. CORY WONG AND THE WONGNOTES marks the first album in what will undoubtedly be another busy year for the indefatigable Wong as he continues making his mark as a prolific, once-in-a-lifetime artist and personality.
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For more information on CORY WONG:
Ken Weinstein, Big Hassle
For more information on DAVE KOZ:
Judi Kerr, Judi Kerr Public Relations
310-477-8191
