The Golden Hour, set for June 11 release, demonstrates what happens when musical masters of two different generations venture fearlessly off their regular career paths, hightail it into a live-in-the-studio session with a powerhouse ensemble, and create a momentum-shifting project that puts them on fresh creative trajectories. Saxophonist/entrepreneur Dave Koz and hipster funk/jam band guitarist Cory Wong (Vulfpeck, the Fearless Flyers, Cory and the Wongnotes) may seem an unlikely pair, but together they imbue the album with a hard-edged spontaneous combustion and wind-in-your-hair carefree coolness. They’re backed by Wong’s 10-piece band, which includes a horn section arranged by Michael Nelson, Prince’s chief horn arranger.
Today, as the album pre-order launched, the two-GRAMMY nominated artists shared the exuberant first single, “Today,” and the accompanying video, which premiered on Wong’s YouTube channel.
WATCH "TODAY"
PRE-ORDER THE GOLDEN HOUR
WATCH THE GOLDEN HOUR TRAILER
To celebrate the release of The Golden Hour, Koz and Wong will play the entire album live from the rooftop of a houseboat, cruising Minneapolis’ St. Croix River at sunset. The livestream concert, which will feature Wong’s band, can be seen on Looped on Saturday, June 12.
“Recording The Golden Hour was the most fun I’ve ever had in the studio. It was also the most terrifying, but in a good way, because it was all about being vulnerable and having to stand on my own musical instincts, with everyone jamming on the arrangements at the same time,” recalls Dave Koz.
Cory Wong – who produced the album, co-wrote 10 of its 11 tracks, and played electric guitar, among other instruments – adds, “Besides ‘The Golden Hour’ being one of Dave’s favorite songs on the album, the term conjures up an image of a quintessential part of the day, either the afternoon before sunset or just after the sun comes up. That moment is about capturing warmth and authenticity when you feel so alive and full of energy, excited about what the future may hold. It’s that intersection between night and day, a transitional moment where momentum shifts from one thing to another.”
The Golden Hour – Track Listing
1. Today
2. Getaway Car
3. Feed The Id
4. The Golden Hour
5. Junkyard Dunebuggy
6. Little Rascals
7. Family Reunion
8. Engine 71
9. Your Side of Town (Art of Key Noise) feat. Phoebe Katis
10. Together Again
11. Gratitude
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.
