The opening track of this Utah quintet's CD is the instrumental "Ska in G." Combining an ear-catching sample of vintage cultural flotsam followed by the group's saxophone horn section in lyrical interplay over a background ska beat, this opening proves
Sturgeon General to be a modern, jazz-directed ska ensemble. Another strong track is "Saturday," where the two-dimensional alto and baritone saxophone front works to great effect with trombone and three members voicing the chorus. Such a range of separation in the horns gives a distinctive, vertically separated feel to their brass passages. Plenty of humor is present, often the mainstay attitude of ska. In "Prozac," the group goes from a mock-country introduction into a very Specials-style Two-Tone piece. "She Knows My Name" is strong in its jazz solos from the horns and adds some smoky acoustic bass, but does reveal expected weaknesses, the voices of these young musicians, in its clarity and slow tempo. "3AM" is matched better to the group's abilities. Led off by the baritone sax, the piece picks up to an even, comfortable pace before the vocals kick in for a winning, Halloween-themed ska number. The outro is an answer to the intro, "Ska out G."
Stout is as rich and hearty a ska debut as its title suggests. ~ Tom Schulte