Playlist: Zhang Xiongguan

Here, he picks out some of the records that have had the biggest impact on him as well as highlighting his favourite songs from his own work.

The first record you ever bought

It must’ve been a tape from a certain Chinese pop singer that I can’t remember… But I do know the first jazz record that I ever owned was The Wes Montgomery Trio – it’s a beautiful record with Wes on guitar, Melvin Rhyne on organ and Paul Parker on drums. My first jazz guitar teacher introduced me to that album, which was – and still is – a revelation to me in terms of how Wes Montgomery revolutionised the modern style of jazz guitar playing.

Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers. Before I started to play jazz, I was a huge fan of the Chili Peppers and used to play all their hits in my high school rock band. Tunes on this record like ‘Around the World’, ‘Parallel Universe’, ‘Otherside’, ‘Californication’, ‘Porcelain’ were the music that I would work on together with my band members back then. Even though I don’t play that music any more, it’s still a big reason why I became a musician.

East/West by Bill Frisell. I recently discovered this clip on WeChat which was Bill Frisell playing 'The Days of Wine and Roses'. The way he played it was just so simple yet profound at the same time. I got hooked on that version so I went on to check out some of his other work, which was completely different. He can literally play anything – from jazz standards to blues, folk, Motown or rock tunes… This album is a great showcase of his versatility. I’m also listening to a lot of Kendrick Lamar and Radiohead lately.

Of course that’s an impossible question to answer cause I love them all! But I'll say 'Reset'. I was trying to write something that’s groove-based so I came up with this rhythmic figure up front. It also got this rhythmic transition that’s surprising and fun to play. The tune is challenging but the trio also has a lot of room to stretch and have fun.

'Heartbeat'. It’s the first tune we recorded in the session. We only had a short rehearsal in the afternoon and went into the studio right away. However everyone was burning and the chemistry was right on. I think it’s an exciting tune to listen to.

Hearts Wide Open by Gilad Hekselman. I love Israeli guitarist Gilad Hekselman’s melodic approach to complicated compositions. I always found it’s more difficult to write something easy then something complex. By listening to this album I got an idea of how to balancing the two.

'Suicide Plan'. I started by playing some real dissonant voicings on the guitar and came up with some cool sounds. However I felt it was too dark and needs some sweet melody so I wrote a very lyrical line in the next section. But I was still in need of a good title. Then last summer I saw the movie Suicide Squad and thought about all the scenes from different movies that before a person decides to end his life, he always sees every detail of his life flashing back in slow motion. I felt that lyrical section in the song was just like that, so I decided to call it 'Suicide Plan'. This tune also underwent some changes after playing with my band so it was almost never settled until the recording session.

The song that always makes you think of Shanghai

'Miss Shanghai' by Shanghai Restoration Project. I love the fact that Shanghai is such an open city that different art forms are not only able to flourish in their own way, but also grow together. In this song, both Chinese traditional and modern elements are emphasised, which represents the spirit of Shanghai.

Your 'desert island disc'

A Love Supreme by John Coltrane. John Coltrane is possibly the closest musician to god, and I do not mean that figuratively – in A Love Supreme, he was literally trying to speaking and connecting with god through music. The fire he and the band produced in the album is going to let you forget where you are right away.