Juke In The Back With Matt The Cat

Series produced by Matt "The Cat" Baldassarri

Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Image by: Public Domain 
Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat 

Matt The Cat presents the soul that came before rock n' roll: 1950s rhythm and blues. Each week, this underrated and rollicking music plays on that old Rockola Jukebox in the back.

If you wanted to hear rhythm & blues during the 1950s, you couldn't get it from the juke box in the front. No, no! In order to hear that glorious, down and dirty R&B, you had to go to the low-lit, spit-shined "Juke In The Back." These songs are the building blocks of rock n' roll. These are the records that inspired Elvis and single-handedly led to the rock n' roll explosion of the mid-1950s. Big Joe Turner, Fats Domino, Little Richard, Ruth Brown, Ray Charles, Wynonie Harris, LaVern Baker, Roy Brown, Joe Liggins, Professor Longhair and many more take center stage on The Juke In The Back. Matt The Cat hosted a similar program on XM Satellite Radio called "Harlem" and now he brings this great music and information to PRX.


694 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Nappy Brown is a very important figure in early Rock n' Roll as it was his blend of pure Gospel shouting, a strong backbeat and bouncy pop arrangem...

Bought by KCMJ Community Radio, 90.5 WSNC, WHRV, WRNC-LP, WOUB and more


  • Added: Mar 06, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Matt The Cat presents another highly underrated vocal group from the 1950s: The Du-Droppers as part of a full hour of 1940s and '50s rhythm & blues...

Bought by KCMJ Community Radio, 90.5 WSNC, WHRV, WOUB, and KSRQ


  • Added: Feb 28, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 5
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The Five Keys were undoubtedly one of the finest vocal groups of both the R&B and Rock n' Roll eras. This week, in part 2 of our 2 part feature, we...

Bought by 90.5 WSNC, WRNC-LP, KCMJ Community Radio, WHRV, WOUB and more


  • Added: Feb 21, 2016
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The Five Keys were undoubtedly one of the finest vocal groups of both the R&B and Rock n' Roll eras. In part 1, Matt The Cat focuses on The Five K...

Bought by KCMJ Community Radio, WHRV, WOUB, and KSRQ


  • Added: Feb 14, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 4
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
This week's "Juke In The Back" highlights the short, but important career of Faye Adams. DJ Alan Freed called her "The little gal with the big voic...

Bought by KCMJ Community Radio, WHRV, 90.5 WSNC, WOUB, WRNC-LP and more


  • Added: Feb 07, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Just in time for Mardi Gras, it's part 3 of "Juke In The Back"'s 3 part series on the great, influential and infectious music that came out of New ...

Bought by WHRV, KCMJ Community Radio, WRNC-LP, 90.5 WSNC, WOUB and more


  • Added: Jan 31, 2016
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Just in time for Mardi Gras, it's part 2 of "Juke In The Back"'s 3 part series on the great, influential and infectious music that came out of New ...

Bought by KCMJ Community Radio, WRNC-LP, WHRV, WOUB, and KSRQ


  • Added: Jan 24, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 5
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Just in time for Mardi Gras, the "Juke In The Back" begins a 3 part series on the great, influential and infectious music that came out of New Orle...

Bought by KCMJ Community Radio, WHRV, WRNC-LP, WOUB, and KSRQ


  • Added: Jan 17, 2016
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 5
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The "Juke In The Back" once again puts our old Rockola Jukebox in the forefront as we spotlight the biggest Rhythm & Blues jukebox hits of 1946. Th...

Bought by KCMJ Community Radio, WHRV, WRNC-LP, WOUB, and KSRQ


  • Added: Jan 10, 2016
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 5
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The "Juke In The Back" takes you back 70 years to feature the biggest jukebox hits of 1946. In part 1, we'll focus on the most requested jukebox r...

Bought by WRNC-LP, WHRV, 90.5 WSNC, WOUB, and KSRQ


  • Added: Jan 03, 2016
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 5
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The West Coast is often ignored as a post World War II Rhythm & Blues hot spot, but some mighty fine R&B artists, groups and labels called LA home....

Bought by KPIP-LP, WHRV, 90.5 WSNC, KCMJ Community Radio, WOUB and more


  • Added: Dec 27, 2015
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Matt The Cat has dug up some more R&B Christmas treasures and added a few tunes about New Years for this week’s continuation of the “Juke In The Ba...

Bought by KPIP-LP, 90.5 WSNC, WHRV, KCMJ Community Radio, WOUB and more


  • Added: Dec 20, 2015
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The entire "Juke In The Back" is loaded with the greatest R&B Christmas records from the late 1940s and 1950s. It's the yuletide soul that came bef...

Bought by WVAS, KPIP-LP, Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting, KMUN, KCMJ Community Radio and more


  • Added: Dec 13, 2015
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 10
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The "Juke In The Back" is proud to salute Sister Rosetta Tharpe, one of the most important and influential musical figures of the 20th Century. Mat...

Bought by WHRV, WRNC-LP, WOUB, and KCMJ Community Radio


  • Added: Dec 06, 2015
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 4
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
This week, the jukebox is in the spotlight as Matt The Cat takes you back 64 years and highlights the top jukebox hits of the second half of 1951. ...

Bought by 90.5 WSNC, KCMJ Community Radio, WHRV, WRNC-LP, KWMR and more


  • Added: Nov 29, 2015
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
This week, the jukebox is in the spotlight as Matt The Cat takes you back 64 years and highlights the top jukebox hits of the first half of 1951. Y...

Bought by KWMR, 90.5 WSNC, WHRV, WOUB, KSRQ and more


  • Added: Nov 23, 2015
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
This week, on a very unique "Juke In The Back," Matt The Cat pays tribute to not only a fantastic and underrated record label, Fortune Records, but...

Bought by KCMJ Community Radio, 90.5 WSNC, WHRV, WRNC-LP, WOUB and more


  • Added: Nov 15, 2015
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The "Juke In The Back" features the most important and influential vocal group of the post World War II era, The Orioles. Baltimore's finest singin...

Bought by 90.5 WSNC, KCMJ Community Radio, WHRV, WRNC-LP, WOUB and more


  • Added: Nov 08, 2015
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
This week, "Juke In The Back" features The Griffin Brothers, one of the unsung Rhythm & Blues groups from the early 1950s. The Griffin Brothers wer...

Bought by KCMJ Community Radio, WHRV, KSRQ, WRNC-LP, WOUB and more


  • Added: Nov 01, 2015
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Matt The Cat celebrates Halloween with the scariest, spookiest and most sinister vintage rhythm & blues records ever made! It's the disembodied "so...

Bought by KPIP-LP, 90.5 WSNC, KHNS, WHRV, WRNC-LP and more


  • Added: Oct 25, 2015
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 8