On Don’t Talk, Dance!, Chris Standring delivers a collection of irresistibly funky, compositionally sophisticated tunes that, yes, work well as dance music but also hold up under a close listen. The British-born guitarist draws from a wide range of genres, including jazz, funk, blues, pop, R&B, club and electronica. He layers instruments and patterns, varies tempos and adds electronic effects, vocal accents and spoken-word snippets to create intricate, highly textured tracks built atop funk grooves.
We dare you to sit still during the percussive “Sky High,” an electro-dance number driven by a mesmerizing groove and featuring atmospheric keyboards from Standring’s longtime collaborator Rodney Lee. Or the horn-accented “Inside Outside,” with a funky guitar melody that will linger in your mind long after the cut is over. Standring’s talkbox gets a star turn during the laidback “Sneakin’ Out the Front Door,” and “Scatterfunk” opens with a ’70s-style funk groove that gives way to a slower, string-enhanced jam.
Standring departs from the album’s dance vibe for “Nothing Lasts Forever.” A poignant ballad spotlighting Standring on acoustic guitar, it closes this high-energy, elaborately produced album simply and eloquently.
Chris Standring: Don’t Talk, Dance!
JazzTimes may earn a small commission if you buy something using one of the retail links in our articles. JazzTimes does not accept money for any editorial recommendations. Read more about our policy here. Thanks for supporting JazzTimes.
