With that unmistakable Chris Standring aura, and an unashamedly joyful vibe, his brand new CD, ‘Sunlight’, could not be more aptly titled. Indeed from his early days as part of Solar System (a duet project with long time collaborator Rodney Lee) and then through a succession of attention grabbing albums Standring has carved out a unique place in the annals of contemporary jazz. Often soulful, always compelling and disposed from time to time to weave orchestral tapestries into his guitar driven melodies he is a performer who never disappoints. Consequently it should be no surprise that ‘Sunlight’, even at this early stage, seems destined to become one of the best recordings of the year. Take for example the opening track, the vibrant ‘Static In The Attic’ that is textbook Standring and then some. It features a Fender Rhodes solo from Rodney Lee and with longtime sideman Andre Berry holding it down on bass this is a song that looks certain to dominate the airwaves for a considerable slice of 2018. Indeed for ‘Sunlight’ Standring has gathered together some of the genre’s finest musicians including drummers Chris Coleman and Dave Karasony, bass players Jimmy Haslip and Roberto Vally, keyboard players Mitch Forman and John Novello, sax players Pete Christlieb and Brandon Fields plus, notably, the legendary Bob James who adds a fine piano solo to the wonderful ‘The Revisit’. Standring even finds time for a carefully crafted cover of the Beachboys classic ‘God Only Knows’ wh