“Once upon a time Wes Montgomery plugged in his guitar and changed the way the world listened to jazz. Since then the guitar pick has been passed on to artists including George Benson, Earl Klugh, John Scofield and Pat Metheny, and each and every one has pushed the genre just a little bit further. Guitarist Chris Standring makes a fair bid to push it the next step forward”.
All About Jazz
“Certainly Blue Bolero adds up to a worthy 14 track collection with material that demands repeated listens”
Guitarist magazine (UK)
“One of the most lyrical guitarists in contemporary jazz.”
Jazzguitar.be
Over the course of five CDs, guitarist Chris Standring has distinguished himself in the contemporary jazz realm with adventurous and lyrical compositions leavened with pure-pop perfection, dazzling guitar solos and thick beats. His jazz leanings and riffs have always been in the foreground, but he expanded his sound with rock, blues, R&B and electronic elements.
With his sixth CD, Blue Bolero, Standring returns with a left-turning musical project so daring in its scope but still so true to his sound that it is destined to be one of the year’s most-discussed projects, while certainly sure to be remembered in years to come as a highlight of the guitarist’s works. He’s taking a chance with Blue Bolero, but it’s one his fans will certainly embrace as they follow Standing’s ever-evolving career. “I think this one is probably the most honest CD I have recorded so far,” Standring says. “I didn’t care about commercial constraints. I didn’t care about having special guest performers on the album for the sake of creating a sales and marketing perception. Everyone who performed on this CD was there because I felt they were the absolute best to help realize this album.”
Jazz guitarist Chris was born and raised in Buckinghamshire, England; classically trained at the London College of Music, he further honed his skills during a decade spent working for the BBC as well as a number of theatrical orchestras on London’s West End. From there Standring relocated to Los Angeles, where he became a top session player after recording with everyone from Bebe & Cece Winans to Jody Whately and Carole Bayer Sager.