Casablanca — Cory Wong turned Jazzablanca’s second night into a bright, tightly arranged funk workout on Friday, July 3, bringing his clean guitar attack and bandleader energy to Anfa Park in Casablanca.
Before stepping on stage, Wong told MWN Lifestyle magazine that his first impression of Casablanca had already given him the right mood for the night. “We just got here to Casablanca last night. Had a great meal, late night, hung out, watched the football game, had a great time,” he said. “Today, I got a chance to walk around the city a little bit and just check out some different areas and try some different types of food that were incredible, and this festival is amazing, beautiful grounds, beautiful place. I am really excited to play here.”
A bandleader who plays for the whole sound
Wong’s concert reflected the same philosophy he described in the interview: the guitar was central, but never isolated from the full arrangement.
Rather than turning the show into a long guitar showcase, Wong used rhythm as the engine. His playing pushed the band forward, then stepped back to let brass, keys, bass, and drums carry the spotlight. That balance gave the performance its strength: every part felt written, but the groove stayed alive.
Speaking to MWN Lifestyle magazine, Wong said he does not write only as a guitarist. “It is more like, ‘Here is this musical thing that I want to accomplish,’” he said. “A lot of times the guitar is the best voice for that, and a lot of times I feel like a horn is better, or the keyboard, or a bass, or something.”
That approach was clear on stage. Wong’s presence remained strong even when he was not soloing, because his rhythm guitar shaped the pulse of the whole set.
Groove with a human edge
The concert also showed why Wong has become one of modern funk’s most recognizable figures. Jazzablanca’s official artist page describes him as a Grammy-nominated guitarist, composer, and producer known for a live sound that connects virtuosity with the pleasure of performance.
His music depends on precision, but it does not feel cold. The band’s tight arrangements left room for movement, humor, and small shifts in timing that kept the set from sounding mechanical.
Wong explained that balance in the interview, saying he is “very particular about groove” and how the band feels time, whether pushing, holding steady, or relaxing the beat. He added that once everyone knows where the groove is aiming, “the human element” can come out.
That human element was the heart of Friday night’s performance. The concert did not rely on excess. It relied on control, joy, and the kind of rhythm that makes technical music feel easy to enter.
For Jazzablanca, Wong’s set captured one of the festival’s strongest lanes: international musicianship presented in a way that remains open, festive, and physically felt.
As Casablanca moved through the festival’s second night, Wong’s concert offered more than a funk performance. It showed how rhythm can become a shared language between artist, band, and audience.
