Sheryl Ann McKinley
Helen Daley
Don’t confuse this group with Standard & Poor’s, the financial services company that is older than jazz.
Standards & Poor is led by a San Francisco native, multi-instrumentalist Evan Dain who started at age six on the guitar, then picked up the bass, banjo, and mandolin in high school. Evan studied music at Laney College in Oakland, Calif., and afterwards served in the U.S. Navy. Learning trombone and tuba along the way, Evan launched a musical career that has encompassed traditional, modern, and Latin jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, bluegrass, pop, and country-western. Evan’s eclectic experience has taken him to theatre, cruise ships, and numerous recording sessions around the world. He lived in New Orleans during 1990-91, met Banu Gibson there, and toured with her throughout the 1990s. He moved to Tucson in 1995, and in addition to numerous other gigs, is a member of Wildcat Jazz Band.
The band consists of Evan Dain (leader, bass, trombone, banjo), Rob Wright (banjo, uke, guitar), Ray Templin (drums, piano), Cheryl Thurston (piano, trumpet), Max Goldschmid (trumpet, clarinet, sax), Greg Varlotta (trombone), and featured vocalist Sheryl Ann McKinnley. They play a wide variety of music that is all danceable.
Standards & Poor will perform at the April 18 jazz party for the Arizona Classic Jazz Society from 1 to 4 p.m., at the Crowne Plaza Phoenix – Chandler Golf Resort, One San Marcos Place, Chandler. Cost is $15 for Arizona Classic Jazz Society members; $20 non-members (become a new member and get in free on the 18th; yearly membership is $35 couple, single $25). The public is welcome. For more information, go to www.azclassicjazz.org or call 480-620-3941.