Amongst the current crop of contemporary jazz artists, guitarist Chris Standring has a sound that is arguably the most distinctive. Indeed the trademark groove that he cultivated with recordings such as ‘Soul Express’ and Love & Paragraphs’ and which he enhanced by the innovative use of a string quartet for the albums ‘Blue Bolero’ and ‘Electric Wonderland’, has served to define Standring as a performer. Now he is back with the entirely spellbinding ‘Don’t Talk. Dance!’ Of course Standring being Standring, the name doesn’t tell you the half of it yet in the company of band members Rodney Lee on keys, bass player Andre Berry and drummer Dave Karasony, plus the welcome return of sumptuous string backing from Nikki Garcia, Barbra Porter, Tom Tally and Cameron Stone, he has delivered a body of work for which the word ‘masterpiece’ would not be out of place.
As is often the case, Standring’s own clever production both surprises and delights. Take, for instance, the brief spoken word introduction to ‘Voices In My Head’ that accentuates the listener’s expectation for funk. It certainly doesn’t disappoint and with an intensity that continues to build amidst some particularly atmospheric organ from Lee, this one really is all about the rhythm.
‘Sneakin’ Out The Front Door’ is one of those ultra cool cuts for which Standring is famous and is added to in no small measure by subliminal vocals from Janelle Sadler. She does a similar job on the fabulous ‘Sky High’ that is underpinned by a distinctly European flavored chill groove, superb Fender Rhodes from Lee and judicious use of the string quartet that Standring first used to sensational effect for his 2010 project ‘Blue Bolero’. However, whereas ‘Bolero’ utilized strings in an overtly orchestral context, here they are completely integrated into the overall sound. The result is spectacular and even with ‘Soul Symphony’, where the title suggests something of an orchestral tour de force; the track builds into a rhythmic funk-fest that the use of strings then takes to uncharted levels.
Much the same can be said of the the moodily intricate ‘Scatterfunk’ (for which the title was inspired by Jeff Beck’s 1975 tune ‘Scatterbrain’) and although Standring again incorporates strings into the tranquil closer, ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’, he switches gears by deploying a fully-fledged horn section for the vibrant ‘Inside Out’.
This line-up of Doug Web on sax, trumpeters Chris Tedesco and Steve Sidwell plus the always-excellent Nick Lane on trombone is also center stage for the decidedly Steely Dan like ‘Another Fine Mess’ and when Chris is joined by Neil Stubenhaus on bass and drummer Eric Valentine they together conjure up the wonderfully atmospheric ‘Yesterday’s Heaven’. Later, when this fine trio is supplemented by Lee for the warmly inviting ‘Imagine That’ the result is a track that is right up there with the best that ‘Don’t Talk. Dance!’ has to offer while elsewhere ‘Absolute Madness’ is another display of Standring’s undisputed yet understated funkiness.
Very different but no less attractive, ‘Crazy Bom Baizy’ transports the listener to a packed dance floor via the pulsing sound of a techno disco beat. It is another example of the versatility that Standring crams into his music and another is the album’s only genuine vocal number, the deliciously mid tempo ‘Ride’ where the singing voice of acclaimed songwriter Lauren Christy takes the honors. Make no mistake, this breathtakingly eclectic collection has much to commend it and could well evolve into one of the standout releases of 2014.
Highly recommended.