Singer-Songwriter
A collection of works and musical diary addressing key moments in Wong’s long career as a musician and person of conscience.
Francis Wong’s work spanning nearly five decades as a musician, activist, youth mentor, consultant, and academic lecturer in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond has lifted and inspired various Asian American collectives to build and work for a just and equitable society. His music is deeply influenced by the music and perspective of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians as well as his colleagues in what is known as the Asian American jazz movement.
Wong has specialized in the fusion of free jazz and Asian musics, working with the likes of Glenn Horiuchi, Jon Jang, Tatsu Aoki, Mwata Bowden, Ed Wilkerson Jr., John Tchicai, James Newton, Cecil Taylor, Joseph Jarman, and others. He is also known for his collaborations with San Francisco poet laureate Genny Lim, United States poet laureate Juan Filipe Herrera, choreographer Lenora Lee, taiko artist and culture bearer Melody Takata and Genryu Arts, and the traditional Chinese instrument ensemble Melody of China. Most recently he has pursued collaborations with Karl Evangelista, David Boyce, PC Muñoz, Erika Oba, Scott Oshiro, and Chris Trinidad.
PERSONNEL: Francis Wong: tenor saxophone, Karl Evangelista: guitar, Chris Trinidad: bass guitar, synth bass, bass ukulele, Jimmy Biala: drum set, percussion
GENRES: Asian American Jazz, Avant-Garde, Free Jazz
INFLUENCES: Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, Albert Ayler, John Coltrane, Max Roach, Fred Anderson
RELEASE YEAR: 2025
ALBUM CODE: IRK 2025 03
An improvised live album recorded on one magical Friday night at Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth where healing and restoration live.
The Shadow Band is an Arabic Free Groove quartet that formed in the wake of the Gaza genocide to perform at various events and fundraisers with live compositions. They are fueled by the spirit of improvisation as an ode to liberation and resistance. The group draws from Arabic taksim, Arab futurism, dub, and free jazz, and blends these with grooves inspired by a number of traditions around the world. This record was improvised in one evening in Oakland, California in a studio space designed for healing and restoration.
PERSONNEL: Naima Shalhoub: keyboards, voice; Tarik “Excentrik” Kazaleh: guitar, oud, buzuk; Chris Trinidad: bass guitar, synth bass; Aaron Kierbel: drum set, percussion
GENRES: Arabic Taksim, Free Improvised Groove, Arab-Futurism, Dub
INFLUENCES: Ziad Rahbani, King Tubby, Augustus Pablo, Munir Bashir, Marcel Khalifeh, Pink Floyd
RELEASE YEAR: 2025
ALBUM CODE: IRK 2025 02
An improvised live album recorded on another magical Friday night in the heart of the Mission District in San Francisco where there is Medicine for Nightmares.
Red Fast Triple Luck is a special expanded configuration of the improvising duo Red Fast Luck with multi-reed sorcerer David Boyce and electro-acoustic percussionist PC Muñoz, and featuring Asian American jazz legend Francis Wong and Pinoy multi-genre low end specialist Chris Trinidad. This album was improvised as part of the Other Dimensions in Sound series hosted and curated by David Boyce in a space designed for sonic sustenance. The group draws from an array of sounds to co-construct an abstract sound collage.
PERSONNEL: David Boyce: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, electronics, PC Muñoz: percussion kit, cajon, oji, Francis Wong: tenor saxophone, voice, Chris Trinidad: bass guitar, synth bass
GENRES: Free Improvised Groove, Afro-Futurism, Asian-Futurism, Art Funk
INFLUENCES: Broun Fellinis, Albert Ayler, Pharaoh Sanders, Bill Laswell
RELEASE YEAR: 2025
ALBUM CODE: IRK 2025 04