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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 WOUB, KPVL, and KSRQ


  • Added: Mar 24, 2013
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 3
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The pre-Rock n' Roll era is full of unsung performers who's style directly impacted those who came after. This week's "Juke In The Back" spotlight ...

Bought by KMUW, WOUB, and KSRQ


  • Added: Mar 17, 2013
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 3
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The "Juke In The Back" features another highly underrated R&B vocal group from the 1950s: The Checkers. They never scored a national hit, but they'...

Bought by WOUB, KSRQ, and WRNC-LP


  • Added: Mar 10, 2013
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 3
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Cobra Records left quite a bite, even thought this little West Side Chicago label was only in existence for three short years. They hit gold right ...

Bought by KSRQ and WOUB


  • Added: Mar 03, 2013
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 2
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
If you're "hep to the jive" and can "dig the scene," then you're in for a treat on this week's "Juke In The Back." Matt The Cat presents Cab Callow...

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


  • Added: Feb 24, 2013
  • Length: 59:02
  • Purchases: 4
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The "Juke In The Back" with Matt The Cat features Billy "The Kid" Emerson, a talented R&B singer and songwriter who never had a hit record, but his...

Bought by KPVL, KSRQ, and WOUB


  • Added: Feb 16, 2013
  • Length: 59:01
  • Purchases: 3