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
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 65 years and highlights the top jukebox hits of the second half of 1953. ...

Bought by Royalton Community Radio, GCR (Global Community Radio), KTRT RADIO INC, WHRV, KSRQ and more


  • Added: Jul 22, 2018
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 8
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 65 years and highlights the top jukebox hits of the first half of 1953. Y...

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


  • Added: Jul 16, 2018
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 8
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Raise you glasses as we toast Rhythm & Booze: Wine, Wine, Wine on this week's "Juke In The Back." The entire program features the greatest wine R&B...

Bought by Royalton Community Radio, KTRT RADIO INC, WHRV, KMXT, WOUB and more


  • Added: Jul 08, 2018
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The Juke In The Back jumps into summer by spotlighting THE summertime holiday, the 4th of July. We're diggin' the 4th in song, ranging from songs a...

Bought by Royalton Community Radio, KTRT RADIO INC, WHRV, WOUB, WJAB and more


  • Added: Jul 01, 2018
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 8
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Vocalese is a musical sub-genre of Jazz and R&B that burst on the scene in 1952 and was practically gone by 1954. Before it departed, King Pleasure...

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


  • Added: Jun 24, 2018
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The "Juke In The Back" spotlights two extremely underrated R&B pioneers this week: Titus Turner and saxophonist Buddy Lucas. Matt The Cat tells the...

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


  • Added: Jun 17, 2018
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 7
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 Royalton Community Radio, WHRV, KTRT RADIO INC, WOUB, Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting and more


  • Added: Jun 10, 2018
  • Length: 59:01
  • 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 Royalton Community Radio, WOUB, WHRV, KSRQ, KTRT RADIO INC and more


  • Added: Jun 03, 2018
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
This week, the "Juke In The Back" honors one of the silent architects of Rock n' Roll, Richard Barrett. On the surface, he's known today to fans of...

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


  • Added: May 27, 2018
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Little Miss Cornshucks was an influential figure in post WWII Rhythm & Blues. Lavern Baker copied Cornshucks' country girl stage act down to the na...

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


  • Added: May 20, 2018
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 7
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 Royalton Community Radio, KTRT RADIO INC, WHRV, KMXT, WOUB and more


  • Added: May 13, 2018
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Drop a nickel in the ol' Rockola Juke as Matt The Cat dedicates the entire hour to the great little Nashville R&B label, Excello Records. From The ...

Bought by KMUW, Royalton Community Radio, KTRT RADIO INC, WHRV, KSRQ and more


  • Added: May 06, 2018
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 8
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Jimmy Preston made a major contribution to early Rock n' Roll by ushering in the era of the screamin' sax. He is mostly remembered today for his or...

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


  • Added: Apr 29, 2018
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 7
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 Royalton Community Radio, WHRV, WOUB, Cove Mountain Educational Broadcasting, KSRQ and more


  • Added: Apr 22, 2018
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The entire "Juke In The Back" this week features Motown's biggest acts, BEFORE there even was a Motown Records and before those acts were household...

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


  • Added: Apr 15, 2018
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
John Lee Hooker was one of the most influential and important musicians of the 20th Century. He single-handedly invented his own electric guitar bo...

Bought by KMUW, Royalton Community Radio, WHRV, KTRT RADIO INC, WOUB and more


  • Added: Apr 08, 2018
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 8
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Many 1960s soul legends had their start in 1950s R&B and this week, the "Juke In The Back" takes a listen to Billy Stewart's early records. We'll a...

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


  • Added: Apr 01, 2018
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The Cadillacs were one of the most versatile R&B vocal groups of the 1950s, handling uptempo gems like "Speedo" and classic doo wop ballads like "G...

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


  • Added: Mar 25, 2018
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The "Juke In The Back" is proud to feature Jimmy Coe, a great 1950s saxophonist, bandleader and session man that is often ignored today. His 3 sing...

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


  • Added: Mar 18, 2018
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The "Juke In The Back" is jumpin' with a whole program dedicated to the short-lived 1950s record label started by songwriters Jerry Leiber & Mike S...

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


  • Added: Mar 11, 2018
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 7