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.


698 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
Episode #469 - Young Jessie
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 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 KMXT, Royalton Community Radio, KTRT RADIO INC, WHRV, WOUB and more


  • Added: Apr 28, 2019
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 7
Episode #468 - Sister Rosetta Tharpe
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 salute Sister Rosetta Tharpe, one of the most important and influential musical figures of the 20th Century. Mat...

Bought by Royalton Community Radio, WHRV, KTRT RADIO INC, WOUB, Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting and more


  • Added: Apr 21, 2019
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 6
Episode #467 - The Griffin Brothers
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" features The Griffin Brothers, one of the unsung Rhythm & Blues groups from the early 1950s. The Griffin Brothers wer...

Bought by Royalton Community Radio, KTRT RADIO INC, WHRV, WOUB, Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting and more


  • Added: Apr 14, 2019
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 6
Episode #466 - Floyd Dixon
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" features another unsung hero of early Rhythm & Blues, Floyd Dixon. He's often overlooked or labeled as a Charles Brow...

Bought by KTRT RADIO INC, WHRV, Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting, WOUB, Royalton Community Radio and more


  • Added: Apr 07, 2019
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 6
Episode #465 - Roy Byrd aka Professor Longhair
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
New Orleans has probably given birth to more musical geniuses than any other city in the world. So when you cite one particular artist from The Cre...

Bought by WHRV, KTRT RADIO INC, Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting, WOUB, and KMXT


  • Added: Mar 31, 2019
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 5
Episode #464 - Andre Williams (R.I.P.) and Fortune Records
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 past week, we lost Andre Williams, a completely original and unique voice from the early days of Rhythmn & Blues. He was 82 and died from colo...

Bought by Royalton Community Radio, WHRV, KTRT RADIO INC, WOUB, Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting and more


  • Added: Mar 24, 2019
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 6
Episode #463 - 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 Royalton Community Radio, WHRV, Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting, WOUB, and KMXT


  • Added: Mar 17, 2019
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 5
Episode #462 - Big Joe Turner, Pt. 2 - 1951-56
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, we continue our salute to the great blues shouter, Big Joe Turner with part 2 of 2. The show opens in 1951, with Turner's first recordin...

Bought by KTRT RADIO INC, WOUB, Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting, and KMXT


  • Added: Mar 10, 2019
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 4
Episode #461 - Big Joe Turner, Pt. 1 - 1938-50
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
This week, the "Juke In The Back" is loaded with nothing but the great recordings of Big Joe Turner, the "Boss Of The Blues." The show also feature...

Bought by Royalton Community Radio, WHRV, WOUB, Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting, and KMXT


  • Added: Mar 03, 2019
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 5
Episode #460 - 1949: Jukebox Rhythm Review, Pt. 2
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
Once again, it's time to put the ol' Rockola Jukebox in the spotlight as we blast back 70 years on our annual Jukebox Rhythm Review. Matt The Cat l...

Bought by WHRV, KTRT RADIO INC, WOUB, Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting, Royalton Community Radio and more


  • Added: Feb 24, 2019
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 6
Episode #459 - 1949: Jukebox Rhythm Review, 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
Once again, it's time to put the ol' Rockola Jukebox in the spotlight as we blast back 70 years on our annual Jukebox Rhythm Review. Matt The Cat l...

Bought by WHRV, KTRT RADIO INC, KMXT, WOUB, and Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting


  • Added: Feb 17, 2019
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 5
Episode #458 - 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 Royalton Community Radio, WHRV, KTRT RADIO INC, WOUB, Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting and more


  • Added: Feb 10, 2019
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 6
Episode #457 - Dave Bartholomew: Happy 100!
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" proudly celebrates the 100th birthday of Dave Bartholomew, one of the fathers of not only Rhythm & Blues, but also Rock n' R...

Bought by Royalton Community Radio, WHRV, KTRT RADIO INC, WOUB, Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting and more


  • Added: Feb 03, 2019
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 6
Episode #456 - The Lutchers: Nellie & Joe
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 focus an entire show on the separate careers of bother and sister, Nellie and Joe Lutcher. Both scored numerous ...

Bought by Royalton Community Radio, WHRV, KTRT RADIO INC, WOUB, Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting and more


  • Added: Jan 27, 2019
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 6
Episode #455 - Story of 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 Royalton Community Radio, WHRV, KTRT RADIO INC, Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting, WOUB and more


  • Added: Jan 20, 2019
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 6
Episode #454 - The Story Of The Signifying Monkey & Listener Requests
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, Matt The Cat loads the "Juke In The Back" with a musical history of the old African folktale about The Signifying Monkey. We'll trace th...

Bought by GCR (Global Community Radio), WHRV, RadioFreePalmer, KTRT RADIO INC, WOUB and more


  • Added: Jan 13, 2019
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 8
Episode #453 - Rhythm & Booze: Looped!
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
We continue our unsober series of vintage Rhythm & Blues drinking songs this week with Rhythm & Booze: Looped! This week, we'll delve into your dru...

Bought by WHRV, KTRT RADIO INC, WOUB, Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting, and KMXT


  • Added: Jan 06, 2019
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 5
Episode #452 - Prime Little Richard: 1955-57
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, the "Juke In The Back" focuses on Little Richard's prime, hit-making period of 1955-57. Matt The Cat will take you from his early 1956 e...

Bought by Royalton Community Radio, WHRV, KTRT RADIO INC, WOUB, Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting and more


  • Added: Dec 30, 2018
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 6
Episode #451 - Early Little Richard: 1951-55
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
Before Little Richard's atomic howl burst through radios in early 1956 with a feverish "Wop-bop-a-loo-mop alop-bam-bom," he was just another Rhythm...

Bought by WHRV, KTRT RADIO INC, Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting, WOUB, Royalton Community Radio and more


  • Added: Dec 22, 2018
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 6
Episode #450 - Cool Yule: R&B Christmas, Pt. 2
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" presents part 2 of our 2 part vintage Christmas Rhythm & Blues extravaganza that Matt The Cat is calling "Cool Yule." Dig on...

Bought by Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting, WHRV, KUCR 88.3 fm Riverside, Calif., Royalton Community Radio, WOUB and more


  • Added: Dec 16, 2018
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 9

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