DJ Soulero presents a 2003 chat with the late Monty Stark of renowned Funk group "Stark Reality", from his radio program "The Rare Groove Session" (90.3 FM WHPC, Garden City, NY). Topics include the sampling of "Discover Hoagy Carmichael's Music Shop" in Hip Hop, the art of music, their Jazz background, an inside look at how Stark Reality recorded, plus more.

When it comes to bringing the fuzz to the Funk, no one can do it better than The Stark Reality who get their 1970 LP revived to triple vinyl by renowned crate-digging label Now-Again. This 2017 edition of   "Discovers Hoagy Carmichael's Music Shop" marks the 1st ever triple LP reissue of this sought-after diggers cult-classic which includes a digital download, 56 page digital booklet including rare photos, liner notes by Egon, commentary by Ahmad Jamal plus an interview with Monty Stark himself.

Enjoy the funky sounds of The Stark Reality below and grab this great reissue by Now-Again here at Turntable Lab.

Now Again Records presents a 3 CD set of music from an outstanding Jazz fusion outfit of the 1970's. To this day the unique sound of The Stark Reality stands amongst the crates as a meeting of great musical minds who thought outside the box to project a distinct and organic vibe of Jazz/Funk. One of the most intriguing aspects of the group is their free-thinking approach toward incorporating a number of musical styles to form their own communication of Jazz music.


Acting, Thinking, Feeling marks the first time that psychedelic jazz ensemble The Stark Reality's Discovers Hoagy Carmichael's Music Shop album has been reissued in full (the 2003 Stones Throw Records anthology Now only contained half of the original album's music). The anthology also contains the band's out-of-print Roller Coaster Ride (first issued as 1969 on Now-Again in 2003), and a series of recently discovered, previously-unreleased tracks in a 3 CD "complete works" box set.


Besides the missing Hoagy Carmichael's Music Shop songs, the most exciting additions to the Stark Reality's oeuvre are the three songs recorded between the earliest incarnation of the band – the big band that recorded "Theme To Say Brother" and "Acting, Thinking, Feeling" in 1968 - and the slimmed down combo that recorded the Roller Coaster Ride and The Stark Reality Discovers Hoagy Carmichael's Music Shop. These recordings display a band in flux, and color the development of Stark's genius. We hear the signature sound of his "plugged in" vibes for the first time; we hear an early stab at the psychedelic "Red Yellow Moonbeams" (and realize why his addition John Abercrombie and his fuzz guitar was crucial to his vision); we hear a sublte change towards a more funk and rock based sound.

This anthology thus encapsulates the first known Stark Reality recordings – done for and in performance at WGBH, these transitional big band pieces, and the Roller Coaster Ride and The Stark Reality Discovers Hoagy Carmichael's Music Shop albums in full. The liner notes are updated with Ahmad Jamal's participation, more photos and full annotation of the additional songs.

Chi-Town producer No I.D. borrows a loop from Stark Reality's "Comrades" to craft a mellow mood of production to match Common's visions of back in the day. In listening to the original sample it's easier to appreciate the production aspect of "Six", as the Cocaine 80's collective combine their individual talents of rhyming, singing and beats to expand upon the unique sound of Stark Reality.