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
This week, the entire "Juke In The Back" is loaded with records from the catalog of Duke/Peacock Records. Don Robey created one of the great R&B la...

Bought by 90.5 WSNC, Royalton Community Radio, WRNC-LP, WHRV, KSRQ and more


  • Added: Jul 24, 2016
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Willie Mae Thornton was a trailblazer, who in making her own rules paved the way for other groundbreaking female artists like Janis Joplin and Mado...

Bought by KMUW, 90.5 WSNC, Royalton Community Radio, WRNC-LP, WOUB and more


  • Added: Jul 17, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 6
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 KCMJ Community Radio, 90.5 WSNC, Royalton Community Radio, WRNC-LP, WHRV and more


  • Added: Jul 10, 2016
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The "Juke In The Back" is loaded this week with records by one of R&B's greatest and most underrated bandleaders, Lucky Millinder. He worked with v...

Bought by KSRQ, KCMJ Community Radio, Royalton Community Radio, 90.5 WSNC, WHRV and more


  • Added: Jul 03, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 6
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 KTRT RADIO INC, Royalton Community Radio, KMXT, WRNC-LP, WHRV and more


  • Added: Jun 26, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 8
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
This is the third and final part of "Juke In The Back"'s tribute to Specialty Records. This week, host Matt The Cat looks at Specialty's hit-making...

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


  • Added: Jun 19, 2016
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
This week, the "Juke In The Back" is jumpin' with records all hailing from the Specialty Label out of LA on part 2 of The Specialty Records Story. ...

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


  • Added: Jun 12, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
This week, the "Juke In The Back" is full of old records from one of the greatest record labels of all-time, Specialty Records. Art Rupe started th...

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


  • Added: Jun 05, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • 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 greatest blues shouters of all-time, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson. Matt The Cat covers Vinson's ear...

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


  • Added: May 29, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The "Juke In The Back" puts the ol' Rockola Jukebox front and center on this week's program as we present part 2 of a 2 part feature on the biggest...

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


  • Added: May 22, 2016
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The "Juke In The Back" puts the ol' Rockola Jukebox front and center on this week's program as we present part 1 of a 2 part feature on the biggest...

Bought by KCMJ Community Radio, WRNC-LP, Royalton Community Radio, KSRQ, 90.5 WSNC and more


  • Added: May 15, 2016
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
This week, the "Juke In The Back" spotlights the "Prince of Primitive Cool," Rosco Gordon. His mostly self-penned tunes, feature his unique blend o...

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


  • Added: May 08, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Dinah Washington was more than just the "Queen of The Jukeboxes," "Queen Of The Blues" and any other prestigious but vacant title you could pin on ...

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


  • Added: May 01, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Dinah Washington was more than just the "Queen of The Jukeboxes," "Queen Of The Blues" and any other prestigious but vacant title you could pin on ...

Bought by 90.5 WSNC, KCMJ Community Radio, Royalton Community Radio, WOUB, WHRV and more


  • Added: Apr 24, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Dinah Washington was more than just the "Queen of The Jukeboxes," "Queen Of The Blues" and any other prestigious but vacant title you could pin on ...

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


  • Added: Apr 17, 2016
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 4
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Dinah Washington was more than just the "Queen of The Jukeboxes," "Queen Of The Blues" and any other prestigious but vacant title you could pin on ...

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


  • Added: Apr 11, 2016
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 5
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Dinah Washington was more than just the "Queen of The Jukeboxes," "Queen Of The Blues" and any other prestigious but vacant title you could pin on ...

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


  • Added: Apr 03, 2016
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
This week, the "Juke In The Back" salutes one of R&B's greatest unsung labels, Red Robin Records. Bobby Robinson started Robin Records in 1952. It ...

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


  • Added: Mar 27, 2016
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The Moonglows were one of the most innovative and important vocal groups to come out of the 1950s. This week, Matt The Cat presents part 2 of a 2 p...

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


  • Added: Mar 20, 2016
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 5
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The Moonglows were one of the few groups to come out of the post World War II, pre-Elvis era, who were extremely talented and had the sales figures...

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


  • Added: Mar 13, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 5