ZISHI LIU
The New EP: Live at Regattabar
Available Now
On February 28, saxophonist and composer Zishi Liu returned to Boston for a special live performance at Regattabar, presenting an evening where Chinese contemporary repertoire, Asian folk melodies, and modern jazz improvisation met in one shared musical language.
Following his sold-out debut at Regattabar 2025, Zishi Liu brought together a set that moved across cultures and eras — from traditional melodies such as Rasa Sayang and Gongxi Gongxi, to new interpretations of works by Jay Chou, Cui Jian, and contemporary independent Chinese composers. Rather than using Chinese melodies as ornament, the concert placed them at the center of jazz language: transformed through harmony, improvisation, and rhythmic dialogue.
From Cuban Son and Cha-Cha-Cha to free jazz textures inspired by Paul Motian, each arrangement opened space for reinterpretation — where identity, memory, and musical conversation became part of the performance itself. This concert reflects a growing new direction in Boston’s live music scene: where young global musicians reshape jazz not by imitation, but through their own cultural vocabulary.
