REVIEW: The Stark Reality - ...Discovers Hoagy Carmichael's Music Shop

The Stark Reality - ...Discovers Hoagy Carmichael's Music Shop

As an avid music lover, I’m on an everlasting quest to find new musicians. It’s like digging through vinyl crates, flicking through one molded disk sleeve after another, until you find the holy grail (or multiple, if you’re lucky that day). Usually, my search is pretty successful through platforms like the YouTube channel Deep Cuts, blogs and databases like Pigeons and Planes and and Rate My Music, and even old reviews from various music publications. Recently, I came across a slew of Instagram accounts where people post their topsters, music memes, reviews, and lists. Since then, I’ve gotten into a lot more 70s punk and jazz. Most of the works I’ve come across in this time have been nothing short of amazing, but no record struck a chord with me more than Stark Reality’s...Discovers Hoagy Carmichael’s Music Shopdid.

The album’s history is pretty brief. While Hoagy Bix Carmichael - son of legendary American songwriter Hoagy Carmichael - worked at Boston’s public radio station WGBH, he wanted to create a children’s program featuring his father’s music. He recruited Monty Stark (vibraphonist and co-composer), Phil Morrison (bassist), Carl Atkins (saxophonist), John Abercrombie (guitarist), and Vinnie Johnson (drummer) for this jazz fusion, reimagined work. After a few concerts and a failed California tour, the group disbanded. However, they released the album in 1970 via jazz musician Ahmad Jamal’s AJP Records.

...Discovers Hoagy Carmichael’s Music Shop plunges the listener into chaos. The first track “Junkman’s Song” features a crass vibraphone followed by a funky, slow bass line. The vibraphone repeats the same few notes while the bass handles the melody. This figure goes on until the one minute mark when the vocals barge in with a loud, slightly off-key, three-part harmony. The trio’s vocal abilities are passionate and come through in a way that feels sudden; the section ends almost as soon as it begins. The entire song is a mishmash of the guitar, the bass, and the vibraphone riffing off each other and then immediately jumping into their own thing, all while still maintaining cohesion. The guitar and the vibraphone almost sound like they’re battling at certain points. Abercrombie has quite a few standout moments on the guitar, especially in regards to his vibrato technique. The rhythms and sounds have a melted quality, as though the listener and the band members are slinking down the concrete on a scorching summer day. It has the classic, never-ending energy that many late 60s and 70s psychedelic rock artists possess. 

“Thirty Days Hath September” is possibly their most conventional track. The instruments follow a common beat and don’t veer too far away from each other’s essence. The vibraphone does a really nice job of lightening up the slightly more gritty sounds on the track, and stays faithful to the youthful, jazzy tone. The last minute, where it plays alongside Johnson’s drums, is also sweet and fun for the ears, especially when it picks up speed. Unlike the other songs, there’s a smooth transition into the next song, “Cooking,” which is the main indicator that the album is headed in an odder direction. It’s much faster, and the pitches seem to have been altered. Additionally, the musicians play in opposition with each other - one instrument will descend down the scale while the other plays back and forth between back and forth between a few notes - but the guitar cushions this effect with a low register. 

Proceeding with the album from this moment forth is a matter of taste. It’s definitely up my alley, as I love the rough mix, the sudden and slightly off-kilter vocal performances, and the instrumentals that sometimes work in collaboration with or sometimes against each other. If you’re an avid jazz fusion/psychedelic rock lover looking to expand your palette, or simply thrill-seeking, this album is for you. I highly recommend it; Stark Reality Discovers Hoagy Carmichael’s Music Shop is definitely one of the most intriguing, experimental albums I have discovered in the past year.

-DJ Amai Wayans

Recommended Tracks: Junkman’s Song, Comrades, Rocket Ship, Bustin’ Out of Doors
RIYL: 70s Freak-Outs
FCC: Clean