Live solo improvisations, quick demos, curios and puzzles.

Ziji Zuode (自己做的 - Made It Myself)

Take a guzheng with a piezo pickup, run it into an ARP 2600 set up for ring modulation. Play. Select, copy, paste, repeat.

This could be called an outtake from the Zhongyu album. Some of these sounds ended up in "Apple of My Mind's Eye 2" on the album.

Guzheng Freakout #1

Live recording played on Stick with simple programmed rhythm part. Maybe a real piece in its early stages...

Stranded on Z World (Demo)

How not to use a looper. A live improvisation.

Jon Davis - Searching for Meaning Where There Is None (Demo)

First attempt working on a scheme for live solo improvisation involving the tools at hand. The percussion part was programmed in advance, but other parts done live to loops and sequences. Laptop sequencing controlling Yamaha MU-50 module (drums), Ensoniq Mirage (choir sample and bells), Chapman Stick through Bass Muff, Boss Chorus and Vox Dynamic Looper on the bass side, Rat and Memory Man on the melody side. Pro-One MIA due to technical issues. All sounds conceived by Jon Davis.

Zhongyu - Concept with No Word (Live Solo Improv)

This started out as programming a drum part for another live solo improv, but I liked it so much I started building a piece on top of it. Heavily distorted MU-50 for the rhythm part, Mirage for the keys, and two Stick parts played live with no looping. Music and lyrics by Jon Davis.

Zhongyu - Hommage à Dommage (Demo Remix)

A little sketch that will probably end up being part of something longer. Four Stick parts onto four tracks. Composed, arranged and performed by Jon Davis much too quickly.

Zhongyu - This Page Intentionally Left Blank

I was poking around in my old MIDI files and found this nifty drum part, so I thought I'd do something with it. A couple of minutes to figure out the two Stick parts, and away I went. Sketch for possible material for part two of the "Cambrian Romance" suite. Composed, arranged, and performed by Jon Davis.

Zhongyu - Yohoia and Hallucigenia

Another four-pass Stick thing - five if you count the drone-loop separately. Harmonic material deliberately kept to a minimum. Spontaneously composed, arranged, performed and mixed by Jon Davis.

Zhongyu - The Dark of Heartness (Four-way Live Improv)

A two-pass improvisation with loops on Chapman Stick and strings on Mirage. Preliminary sketch for part one of the "Cambrian Romance" suite. Composed spontaneously by Jon Davis.

Zhongyu - Slow Explosion (Improv)

Experimenting with different sounds on the guzheng. Four improvised passes with different combinations of effects. Composed, arranged, and performed by Jon Davis.

Zhongyu - Word with No Meaning (Improv)

For a change, this multi-pass improvisation was done entirely with keyboards, specifically the Mirage. Composed and performed by Jon Davis.

Zhongyu - Meanwhile, in the Back of My Head (Improv)

Another sort of improvisation. I threw the drum program together with as much randomness as possible when you're clicking a mouse. I improvised a loop on the Mirage (strings and piano), building up from simple to hyperactive. Then I improvised a bass part on the Stick, and after that a treble part on the Stick. "Cambrian Romance" part 3. Composed and performed by Jon Davis.

Zhongyu - Anomalocaris Mating Behavior (Artist's Conception) (Improv)

This is a sketch for what will be a longer piece - just working out one section. Programmed percussion and marimba (Mirage), plus three guzheng parts. Composed, arranged and performed on 21 April 2012 by Jon Davis.

Zhongyu - 西施沉鱼 (Xi Shi Sinks Fish) (Sketch)

First I programmed the percussion part, trying deliberately not to be deliberate about it. I started it looping, turned down its fader, and then started the upper Stick loop in reverse. the lower Stick part was improvised live.

Zhongyu - Miniskirt Steak (2012 Improv)

Keyboard, Stick and MIDI drums. Words, music, arrangement, production, and performance by Jon Davis.

Zhongyu - Lessons in Pleasure (Live improv 2012)

Live improv on keyboards, 9 March 2019. No overdubs, just effects added in post.

Ensoniq Mirage piano sample
Novation Ultranova pads

Improvs

Mandatory Peace #1

Another keyboard improvisation. This one is actually 3 passes.

Ensoniq Mirage electric piano sample
Novation Ultranova pads

Mandatory Peace #2

Working on a live solo piece featuring Stick and theremin. Very rough on the theremin since I've only had it a couple days. Words and music by Jon Davis.

Zhongyu - The Shellfish Gene (Demo 1)

Nearly live fiddling around with a drone and a melody. Composed, arranged, performed, and recorded by Jon Davis on Chapman Stick.

Zhongyu - My Theory about the Brontosaurus (Demo)

A live improvisation on guzheng, with effects. Title is 让我想一想 (Let Me Think a Bit), which is something my Chinese friends might remember me saying a lot.

Zhongyu - Rang wo xiangyixiang (Take 1)

Zhongyu (终于) is Chinese for "finally" (as in "what took so long?"), and is the name for the current musical project of Jon Davis, who currently lives in Seattle, and formerly lived in Beijing. Before that he lived in Seattle. A long time ago he was in a band called Wild Debbies. Some things from that bygone age will get posted here as well as new stuff.

For newer music, Zhongyu attempts to creatively combine progressive rock with adventurous jazz, electronics and various sounds from around the world. Currently that mostly includes East Asia, but most anything is possible.

Ziji Zuode (自己做的 - Made It Myself)

Zhongyu 终于