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.


697 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
What's more American than celebrating America's birthday with some good ol' red, white and Rhythm & Blues about THE Fourth of July staple: food? Di...

Bought by KPIP-LP, WNMU-FM, WRNC-LP, KMXT, and 88.5 JAZZ FM Erie's Jazz Station


  • Added: Jun 25, 2012
  • Length: 59:03
  • Purchases: 5
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
This week, the "Juke In The Back" features a rhythm & blues vocal group from Winston-Salem, NC that not only influenced James Brown, but quite poss...

Bought by 88.5 JAZZ FM Erie's Jazz Station


  • Added: Jul 02, 2012
  • Length: 59:02
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
"Juke In The Back" features one of early R&B's greatest blues shouters, Roy Brown. From his early hits for the DeLuxe Label in the late 1940s to h...

Bought by WRNC-LP, KPVL, and 88.5 JAZZ FM Erie's Jazz Station


  • Added: Jul 08, 2012
  • Length: 59:03
  • Purchases: 3
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The "Juke In The Back" features The Robins, one of the earliest and most influential R&B vocal group to come out of Los Angeles in the late '40s an...

Bought by WRNC-LP, KPVL, and 88.5 JAZZ FM Erie's Jazz Station


  • Added: Jul 15, 2012
  • Length: 59:02
  • Purchases: 3
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 KZYX, KPVL, and 88.5 JAZZ FM Erie's Jazz Station


  • Added: Jul 22, 2012
  • Length: 59:02
  • Purchases: 3
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
This week, "Juke In The Back" highlights the short career of one of R&B's greatest talents: JOHNNY ACE. His great records usually get overshadowed...

Bought by KMUW, KPVL, and 88.5 JAZZ FM Erie's Jazz Station


  • Added: Jul 29, 2012
  • Length: 59:02
  • Purchases: 3
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Elvis Presley's early music was a blend of Hillbilly, Country, Gospel and R&B. This week's "Juke In The Back" explored the enormous debt Elvis owe...

Bought by WRNC-LP and 88.5 JAZZ FM Erie's Jazz Station


  • Added: Aug 05, 2012
  • Length: 59:03
  • Purchases: 2
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Much has been said about Ike Turner's personal life, but not enough has been said about his musical legacy. This week's "Juke In The Back" looks a...

Bought by KWEMradio.com/KWEM LP, KPVL, and 88.5 JAZZ FM Erie's Jazz Station


  • Added: Aug 12, 2012
  • Length: 59:03
  • Purchases: 3
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The entire "Juke In The Back" focuses on a tiny Chicago R&B record label with a big sound; Parrot Records. The label was started by Chicago DJ Al B...

Bought by KMUW, KPVL, WRNC-LP, and 88.5 JAZZ FM Erie's Jazz Station


  • Added: Aug 19, 2012
  • Length: 59:02
  • Purchases: 4
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Jimmy Liggins may not have been as successful as his older brother Joe, but Jimmy's 1948 recording of "Cadillac Boogie" just might be the first roc...

Bought by WRNC-LP, KPVL, and 88.5 JAZZ FM Erie's Jazz Station


  • Added: Aug 26, 2012
  • Length: 59:02
  • Purchases: 3
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
This week's "Juke In The Back" digs deep into a group that is usually only remembered for one, incredibly influential tune, "Sh-Boom." The Chords c...

Bought by WRNC-LP, KPVL, and 88.5 JAZZ FM Erie's Jazz Station


  • Added: Sep 02, 2012
  • Length: 59:03
  • Purchases: 3
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 61 years and highlights the top jukebox hits of the first half of 1951. Y...

Bought by KCSM, WRNC-LP, KPVL, and 88.5 JAZZ FM Erie's Jazz Station


  • Added: Sep 10, 2012
  • Length: 59:03
  • 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 61 years and highlights the top jukebox hits of the second half of 1951. ...

Bought by KCSM, WRNC-LP, KPVL, and 88.5 JAZZ FM Erie's Jazz Station


  • Added: Sep 16, 2012
  • Length: 59:03
  • Purchases: 4
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Even though The Cardinals only scored 3 R&B hits, they are remembered as one of the most important vocal groups of the 1950s. This week, Matt The C...

Bought by WRNC-LP and 88.5 JAZZ FM Erie's Jazz Station


  • Added: Sep 23, 2012
  • Length: 59:03
  • Purchases: 2
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Marvin Phillips is one of LA's unsung heroes of 1950s rhythm & blues. He, along with Jesse Belvin popularized R&B duos with their 1952 smash, "Dre...

Bought by KCSM, KPVL, WRNC-LP, and 88.5 JAZZ FM Erie's Jazz Station


  • Added: Sep 30, 2012
  • Length: 59:03
  • Purchases: 4
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
This week, The "Juke In The Back" features the songs of one of R&B's greatest songwriters: Rudy Toombs. This underrated cat wrote some of the most ...

Bought by KCSM, KPVL, WRNC-LP, and 88.5 JAZZ FM Erie's Jazz Station


  • Added: Oct 09, 2012
  • Length: 59:03
  • Purchases: 4
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The "Juke In The Back" honors Little Esther, the 14 year old phenom that scored 3 #1 hits in 1950, singing with Johnny Otis' musical ensemble. She...

Bought by KCSM, WRNC-LP, KPVL, and 88.5 JAZZ FM Erie's Jazz Station


  • Added: Oct 14, 2012
  • Length: 59:02
  • Purchases: 4
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 "s...

Bought by KCSM, KPIP-LP, WNMU-FM, 88.5 JAZZ FM Erie's Jazz Station, WRNC-LP and more


  • Added: Oct 20, 2012
  • Length: 59:02
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The "Juke In The Back" is overflowin' with records by one of R&B's greatest blues shouters and entertainers: Wynonie "Mr. Blues" Harris. Part 1 of ...

Bought by KCSM, KPVL, WRNC-LP, and 88.5 JAZZ FM Erie's Jazz Station


  • Added: Oct 29, 2012
  • Length: 59:03
  • Purchases: 4
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
It's part 2 of our 2 part series on Wynonie "Mr. Blues" Harris, one of the greatest blues shouters of all time. Matt The Cat focuses on Harris' hit...

Bought by KCSM, KPVL, and WRNC-LP


  • Added: Nov 05, 2012
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 3