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
Episode #152 - Fats Domino Pt. 1 (1950-53)
From: Matt "The Cat" Baldassarri
Series: Juke In The Back With Matt The Cat
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The "Juke In The Back" is proud to feature Fats Domino, one of the most influential and popular recording stars of both Rhythm & Blues and Rock n' ...

Bought by WNCU, WRNC-LP, KPVL, KSRQ, and WOUB


  • Added: Mar 31, 2013
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 5
Episode #153 - Fats Domino Pt. 2 (1953-55)
From: Matt "The Cat" Baldassarri
Series: Juke In The Back With Matt The Cat
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The "Juke In The Back" is proud to feature Fats Domino, one of the most influential and popular recording stars of both Rhythm & Blues and Rock n' ...

Bought by WNCU, WOUB, KPVL, and KSRQ


  • Added: Apr 07, 2013
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 4
Episode #154 - Jukebox Listener Request #1
From: Matt "The Cat" Baldassarri
Series: Juke In The Back With Matt The Cat
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
This week's "Juke In The Back" is completely turned over to YOU, the hep cats and crazy kittens who dig on these vintage Rhythm & Blues sounds each...

Bought by WOUB, KSRQ, WRNC-LP, and KPVL


  • Added: Apr 14, 2013
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 4
Episode #155 - Lil Greenwood
From: Matt "The Cat" Baldassarri
Series: Juke In The Back With Matt The Cat
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The "Juke In The Back" pays tribute to the great R&B vocalist, Lil Greenwood. You'll hear her greatest early recordings from 1950-1954, before she ...

Bought by KPVL, WOUB, and KSRQ


  • Added: Apr 21, 2013
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 3
Episode #156 - The Royals (Early Midnighters)
From: Matt "The Cat" Baldassarri
Series: Juke In The Back With Matt The Cat
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The "Juke In The Back" looks at the very beginnings of one of early R&B's biggest groups, The Midnighters. Before "Work With Me Annie," they were k...

Bought by WOUB, KPVL, and KSRQ


  • Added: Apr 28, 2013
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 3
Episode #157 - The Treniers
From: Matt "The Cat" Baldassarri
Series: Juke In The Back With Matt The Cat
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
There were so many influential Rhythm & Blues artists who had a great impact on the development of Rock n' Roll, but were never able to profit from...

Bought by WOUB, WRNC-LP, KPVL, and KSRQ


  • Added: May 05, 2013
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 4
Episode #158 - Johnny Bragg (The Prisonaires & The Marigolds)
From: Matt "The Cat" Baldassarri
Series: Juke In The Back With Matt The Cat
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Matt The Cat presents the seldom-told story of Johnny Bragg, a prisoner serving six 99 year sentences at the Tenn State Penn when his group The Pri...

Bought by WOUB, WRNC-LP, KPVL, and KSRQ


  • Added: May 12, 2013
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 4
Episode #159 - The Ravens
From: Matt "The Cat" Baldassarri
Series: Juke In The Back With Matt The Cat
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The "Juke In The Back" features The Ravens, an R&B vocal group that set the stage for all the groups that would follow. With Jimmy Ricks' bass lead...

Bought by WRNC-LP, WOUB, KSRQ, and KPVL


  • Added: May 19, 2013
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 4
Episode #160 - Ruth Brown Pt. 1 (1949-50)
From: Matt "The Cat" Baldassarri
Series: Juke In The Back With Matt The Cat
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Ruth Brown was Atlantic Records first big star. She was so successful, racking up 24 R&B hits for the fledging label, that Atlantic was often calle...

Bought by WRNC-LP, WOUB, KPVL, and KSRQ


  • Added: May 27, 2013
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 4
Episode #161 - Ruth Brown Pt. 2 (1951-53)
From: Matt "The Cat" Baldassarri
Series: Juke In The Back With Matt The Cat
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Ruth Brown was Atlantic Records first big star. She was so successful, racking up 24 R&B hits for the fledging label, that Atlantic was often calle...

Bought by WRNC-LP, WOUB, KPVL, and KSRQ


  • Added: Jun 02, 2013
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 4
Episode #162 - Ruth Brown Pt. 3 (1953-55)
From: Matt "The Cat" Baldassarri
Series: Juke In The Back With Matt The Cat
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Ruth Brown was Atlantic Records first big star. She was so successful, racking up 24 R&B hits for the fledging label, that Atlantic was often calle...

Bought by WRNC-LP, WOUB, KPVL, and KSRQ


  • Added: Jun 09, 2013
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 4
Episode #163 - Ruth Brown: More Rhythm (1955-60)
From: Matt "The Cat" Baldassarri
Series: Juke In The Back With Matt The Cat
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Ruth Brown was Atlantic Records first big star. She was so successful, racking up 24 R&B hits for the fledging label, that Atlantic was often calle...

Bought by WOUB, WRNC-LP, KPVL, and KSRQ


  • Added: Jun 16, 2013
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 4
Episode #164 - Lowell Fulson
From: Matt "The Cat" Baldassarri
Series: Juke In The Back With Matt The Cat
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The "Juke In The Back" spotlights a true blues legend, Lowell Fulson. From his 1948 breakthrough, "Three O'Clock Blues" to his 1954 legendary smash...

Bought by KMUW, WOUB, KPVL, and KSRQ


  • Added: Jun 23, 2013
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 4
Episode #165 - 4th Of July: R&B Songs About Food
From: Matt "The Cat" Baldassarri
Series: Juke In The Back With Matt The Cat
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, WOUB, KPVL, and KSRQ


  • Added: Jun 29, 2013
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 4
Episode #166 - Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams
From: Matt "The Cat" Baldassarri
Series: Juke In The Back With Matt The Cat
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
This week, "Juke In The Back" presents one of the architects of the "honkin'" sax, Paul Williams. Williams' Sextette released some moderately succe...

Bought by WRNC-LP, WOUB, KPVL, and KSRQ


  • Added: Jul 07, 2013
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 4
Episode #167 - The Orioles
From: Matt "The Cat" Baldassarri
Series: Juke In The Back With Matt The Cat
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 WRNC-LP, WOUB, KPVL, and KSRQ


  • Added: Jul 14, 2013
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 4
Episode #168 - Trumpet Records (1950s R&B)
From: Matt "The Cat" Baldassarri
Series: Juke In The Back With Matt The Cat
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Matt The Cat & The "Juke In The Back" feature a look at one of most significant little record labels in history: Trumpet Records. Based in Jackson,...

Bought by WOUB, WRNC-LP, KPVL, and KSRQ


  • Added: Jul 21, 2013
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 4
Episode #169 - Little Willie Littlefield
From: Matt "The Cat" Baldassarri
Series: Juke In The Back With Matt The Cat
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
There are many great pianists in the history of boogie woogie that helped push its evolution, but it was Little Willie Littlefield who popularized ...

Bought by KCSM, WRNC-LP, KKRN, WOUB, KPVL and more


  • Added: Jul 28, 2013
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 7
Episode #170 - Elvis Presley's R&B Influences
From: Matt "The Cat" Baldassarri
Series: Juke In The Back With Matt The Cat
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 owed...

Bought by WNMU-FM, KCSM, WRNC-LP, WOUB, KPVL and more


  • Added: Aug 04, 2013
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 6
Episode #171 - Sun Records R&B Story Pt. 1
From: Matt "The Cat" Baldassarri
Series: Juke In The Back With Matt The Cat
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
This week's "Juke In The Back" spotlights the most influential and important record label of all-time, Sun Records. In part 1 of this 2 part series...

Bought by KCSM, KBUT Crested Butte, Colo., WRNC-LP, WOUB, KPVL and more


  • Added: Aug 11, 2013
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 6

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