Cory Wong

On December 7, 2026, Cory Wong performs at Le Transbordeur in Villeurbanne. A guitarist and composer based in Minneapolis, he shapes an instrumental funk at the crossroads of jazz, pop and rock, driven by a precise rhythm guitar and a sharp sense of groove. Having come up through Minnesota’s jazz and improvised-music scenes and noticed for his work with Vulfpeck and The Fearless Flyers, he unfolds on stage a disciplined compositional approach that still leaves room for group interplay and collective improvisation. His sets draw on recordings released since 2017, from Cory Wong and the Green Screen Band to The Lucky One, including The Optimist and Motivational Music for the Syncopated Soul. On the program: clean riffs, brass sections and a flexible rhythm section, with arrangements conceived for live performance—hooky motifs, tight breaks and progressions that raise the tension without losing direction. Between craftsmanlike precision and collective energy, Cory Wong places the guitar at the center, supported by arrangements that set the tempo and propel the entire ensemble.