Chris Standring
Guitarist • Composer • Producer
Chris Standring has built a sound that feels immediately accessible without sacrificing musical depth. His guitar lines arrive with clarity and purpose, gliding across soul-jazz rhythms, sophisticated chord changes, orchestral textures, and tightly arranged horn sections. Whether he is leaning into a relaxed groove or opening space for a more expressive solo, Standring brings the instincts of a jazz musician and the discipline of a meticulous songwriter to every performance.
Artist Snapshot
Quick Facts
Where Precision Meets the Pocket
Chris Standring understands that smoothness and substance do not have to work against one another. His music is carefully constructed, but it rarely feels overworked. Melodies remain memorable, arrangements retain breathing room, and his guitar sits comfortably inside the rhythm rather than constantly demanding attention.
That balance is one of his defining strengths. Standring can write music built for contemporary jazz radio while still leaving enough harmonic movement, improvisational character, and rhythmic detail to reward closer listening. Beneath the polished surface is a musician shaped by classical study, bebop language, progressive rock, soul, funk, and the sound of great arrangers.
His playing is also remarkably identifiable. The clean tone, controlled phrasing, melodic patience, and deep attention to groove create a recognizable voice before the listener ever reaches the credits.
From the listening room
Essential Listening
Bossa Blue (2010)
A graceful meeting of Brazilian color, contemporary jazz polish, and Standring’s relaxed melodic phrasing. The track floats rather than rushes, making it an ideal introduction to the warmth and restraint at the center of his sound. “Bossa Blue” appeared on the 2010 album Blue Bolero.
Oliver's Twist (2012)
Playful, rhythmically alert, and built around a memorable guitar statement, “Oliver’s Twist” shows Standring’s ability to keep a groove approachable while adding just enough harmonic and improvisational movement to keep it interesting. It comes from Electric Wonderland, released in 2012.
Change the World (2022)
A polished, uplifting recording with an open melodic quality that highlights Standring’s gift for creating themes that stay with the listener. It represents the mature confidence of his later catalog without losing the easy flow that made his earlier work so inviting. The recording was released in 2022 on Simple Things.
The older I get, the more jazz-sounding my albums tend to be.
— Chris Standring
Artist Profile
The Story Behind the Music
Chris Standring’s musical identity developed at the intersection of discipline and curiosity. Growing up in the English countryside, he initially encountered music through what was available on the radio, particularly the progressive-rock movement flourishing in Britain. Classical guitar study gave him technique and structure, while artists such as Jan Akkerman and Jeff Beck pointed toward a broader world of tone, improvisation, and individuality. His time with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra opened another door, leading him more deeply into the language of Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, Chet Baker, and straight-ahead jazz.
That mixture of influences helps explain why his music rarely sits inside a single narrow category. His classical background can be heard in his precision. His jazz studies inform the harmony and improvisation. Soul and funk shape the pocket, while the melodic directness of pop songwriting keeps his compositions approachable. His early Solar System project with keyboardist Rodney Lee explored the collision of jazz, hip-hop, acid jazz, vocals, and horn arrangements before Standring moved more decisively into his solo career.
What eventually emerged was not simply a contemporary jazz guitar style, but a carefully developed musical language. Standring favors melodies that communicate quickly, yet he surrounds them with richer harmonic details than a casual listen may initially reveal. His partnership with groove-centered musicians, particularly players grounded in R&B, soul, funk, and gospel, gives his recordings a rhythmic foundation that feels deep rather than mechanical. The guitar does not merely decorate that foundation; it converses with it.
Over time, Standring has expanded the scale of his arrangements without losing that central identity. Projects have incorporated strings, orchestral writing, layered keyboards, and full horn sections. On Time of Change, released March 20, 2026, he drew inspiration from the sophisticated arrangements and harmonies associated with late-1970s and early-1980s soul and jazz-pop, while composing all eleven tracks himself.
His lasting contribution lies in the consistency with which he has defended melody, groove, and musical craftsmanship. Standring’s recordings demonstrate that contemporary jazz can be inviting without becoming anonymous and polished without losing personality. His work continues to connect listeners who come for the atmosphere with those who stay for the playing.
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Lounge Notes
From the Lounge
Always in the Rotation
Chris Standring fits naturally within the Artists Lounge because his music reflects so much of what Vighpyr’s Place values: melody, atmosphere, musicianship, and a groove that never overwhelms the room. I can put on one of his recordings while working and let it shape the environment, but I can just as easily stop and listen closely to the guitar phrasing, chord choices, and arrangement details.
What keeps his catalog interesting is the consistency of the voice without every album sounding interchangeable. There is always that recognizable clarity in his guitar, yet he continues to explore different settings—from Brazilian-influenced grooves and soul-jazz to orchestral writing and horn-driven arrangements. For listeners just discovering contemporary jazz guitar, he offers an inviting doorway. For longtime listeners, there is enough craft beneath the polish to keep returning.
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