| Jazz |
Scenery in My Story: A Jazz Opera in Cinematic Brushstrokes.
Composer Zhengtao Pan invites listeners on a true operatic jazz odyssey — one where cinematic flair meets intricate emotional storytelling. Scenery in My Story, his debut album, is more than a collection of songs; it’s a vivid musical memoir, each piece a chapter in a story told through lush textures and evocative melodies.
With every note, Pan transports us through the vibrant pulse of Boston to the introspective warmth of his native Shanghai. The album’s soundscape is rich and layered — at once joyful and pensive — creating a listening experience as emotionally resonant as it is musically dazzling.
And what a surprise it is, not only in terms of the compositions themselves, but in the finesse of their arrangement. Pan, a deft navigator of two contrasting worlds, blends the sharp angles of American jazz with the contemplative depth of Chinese musical thought. The result? A sound both grounded in urban modernity and expansive in emotional scope.
To understand the magnitude of this project is to understand Pan’s remarkable path. Still a student at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, he already commands a résumé most seasoned artists would envy. His work for commercial video games — Mist Sequence, Lost Soul Aside, One Piece: The Bloodline, and Arknights — showcases his ability to score not just music, but moods. He’s collaborated with major media companies such as ByteDance, Masaya Games, and miHoYo, and in the world of concert music, his compositions have been performed by the HyperCube Ensemble, Cascadia Composers, and Webster University.
Yet Scenery in My Story feels like the culmination of something deeply personal — not just professional accomplishment, but artistic awakening. Pan’s melodic sensibility, his grasp of jazz idioms, and his orchestrational maturity suggest a voice far beyond his years. And indeed, it’s astonishing to learn he was born in 2003. As the old saying goes, “Genius doesn’t wait for age” — a truth that feels self-evident here.
More recently, Pan has joined forces with jazz giants Rufus Reid, Steve Wilson, and Sara Gazarek for his second Big Band album — a collaboration that further signals his rapid ascent on the international stage.
An album of this quality, especially from an artist so young, doesn’t just ask for a listen — it commands reflection. After several plays, I found myself asking: Where does one go after this? But something tells me Zhengtao Pan isn’t short on answers. If he continues on this path, Scenery in My Story may soon come to be seen not as the peak of his creativity, but as the opening chapter of a remarkable career.
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
Editor for All About Jazz
PARIS-MOVE, April 9th 2025
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Zhengtao Pan’s music (Jazz music – Music for new media – Concert music – Vocal music)
Zhengtao Pan Jazz Orchestra – Scenery In My Story:
Zhengtao Pan – Composition, Production, Recording, Mixing, Mastering, Piano, Electric Piano, Bass
Itai Kriss – Flute
Pierpaolo Pecoriello – Flute
Andrew Gould – Flute, Alto Saxophone
Walter Smith III – Tenor Saxophone
Manuel Trabucco – Soprano Saxophone, Alto, Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Clarinet
Jesse McGinty – Flute, Soprano Saxophone, Alto, Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Trombone
Mattia Feliciani – Bass Clarinet
Andrea Guerrini – Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Nick Frenay – Trumpet
Mike Cordone – Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Massimo Morganti – Trombone
Bob Pilkington – Trombone
Andrew Alcocer – Trombone
Tracklisting:
1 Windy Days (feat. Itai Kriss) – Noah Justice, Electric Bass
2 Hometown – Federico Gucciardo, Drums – Kevin van den Elzen, Drums
3 City Machine – Ross Pederson, Drums
4 Dancing In The Dream – Benny Benack III, Voice
5 It Could Happen To You (feat. Andrew Gould)
6 Liar (feat. Benny Benack III) – Yiwen Chen – Lyricist Xinyue He – Album Cover/ Graphic Design Ao Wang – Album Cover/ Graphic Design
7 Mirror, Floating On The Water
8 On That Bus
9 Nardis
10 Nightfall Over Shangha
11 Scenery In My Story