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.


693 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
This week, Matt The Cat looks at one of the greatest Doo Wop groups, The Cleftones, through an archival interview with the late Herbie Cox. Cox was...

Bought by WOUB, KIOS-FM Omaha Public Radio, KMXT, WUTC, and KTRT RADIO INC


  • Added: Mar 17, 2024
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 5
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
This week, we honor the "Prince Of Vout," Mr. McVouty himself, Slim Gaillard. He was a one-of-a-kind-o-reenee as he spoke 7 languages including his...

Bought by KJZX-Austin, Royalton Community Radio, WHRV, KCSM, KIOS-FM Omaha Public Radio and more


  • Added: Mar 10, 2024
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 9
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 Royalton Community Radio, KJZX-Austin, KCSM, WHRV, WOUB and more


  • Added: Mar 03, 2024
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 9
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 Royalton Community Radio, KJZX-Austin, WHRV, Delmarva Public Media, WOUB and more


  • Added: Feb 25, 2024
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 9
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
It's staggering, the number of R&B groups that have been left out of the history books and off radio station playlists just because they don't fit ...

Bought by Royalton Community Radio, WHRV, KCSM, WOUB, KIOS-FM Omaha Public Radio and more


  • Added: Feb 18, 2024
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 8
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The Hollywood Flames recorded for nearly 20 different record labels and had numerous personnel changes over their 18 year history, but they always ...

Bought by KJZX-Austin, Royalton Community Radio, KCSM, Mountain Streams Radio WKYW-LP, KIOS-FM Omaha Public Radio and more


  • Added: Feb 11, 2024
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 10
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Lionel Hampton's big band was a training ground for so many of the all-time great musicians: Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, Dexter Gordon, Joe Mo...

Bought by Royalton Community Radio, KIOS-FM Omaha Public Radio, KCSM, WHRV, KJZX-Austin and more


  • Added: Feb 04, 2024
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 9
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
This week, the Juke In The Back features one of R&B and Rock n' Roll's greatest acts, James Brown. Before he was "The Godfather," Brown had to suff...

Bought by KCSM, KJZX-Austin, WHRV, Royalton Community Radio, KIOS-FM Omaha Public Radio and more


  • Added: Jan 28, 2024
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 9
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The "Juke In The Back" takes a deep look at The Delta Rhythm Boys, one of R&B's early influences. They never scored the hits like the Mills Brothe...

Bought by Royalton Community Radio, KJZX-Austin, WHRV, WOUB, KCSM and more


  • Added: Jan 21, 2024
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 9
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 KJZX-Austin, WHRV, KCSM, WOUB, KIOS-FM Omaha Public Radio and more


  • Added: Jan 14, 2024
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 8
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
This week, the “Juke In The Back” transports you back 70 years. 1954 was a pivotal year for American Music. The lines between Rhythm & Blues and Po...

Bought by Royalton Community Radio, WHRV, KSRQ, KJZX-Austin, KCSM and more


  • Added: Jan 07, 2024
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 10
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The Juke is taking you back 70 years! 1954 was a pivotal year for American Music. The lines between Rhythm & Blues and Pop were getting blurred as ...

Bought by Royalton Community Radio, WHRV, KJZX-Austin, KCSM, WOUB and more


  • Added: Dec 31, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 9
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Mabel Scott was an incredibly versatile artist. She was a pianist, pop vocalist, R&B chanteuse and could shout the blues with the best of 'em. Howe...

Bought by Royalton Community Radio, WHRV, KJZX-Austin, WUTC, KIOS-FM Omaha Public Radio and more


  • Added: Dec 24, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 8
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 KSRQ, Royalton Community Radio, KJZX-Austin, WHRV, WOUB and more


  • Added: Dec 17, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 9
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The "Juke In The Back" begins a 2 part Holiday Music Extravaganza with a tribute to Santa Claus. This week, we find the "man in red" doing the boog...

Bought by KSRQ, Royalton Community Radio, KJZX-Austin, WHRV, WOUB and more


  • Added: Dec 10, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 9
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
Drop a nickel in the ol' Rockola Juke to hear one of the best selling and most influential bluesmen and guitarists of all-time, T-Bone Walker. This...

Bought by Royalton Community Radio, WHRV, KJZX-Austin, WOUB, WUTC and more


  • Added: Dec 03, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 8
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The "Juke In The Back" is proud to feature The Channels, one of New York City's finest and most influential vocal groups of the mid-1950s. Earl Lew...

Bought by Royalton Community Radio, KJZX-Austin, WHRV, WOUB, WUTC and more


  • Added: Nov 26, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 8
Caption: Juke In The Back with Matt The Cat, Credit: Public Domain
The "Juke In The Back" is proud to spotlight one of the great contributors to early Rhythm & Blues. Van "Piano Man" Walls released a few records u...

Bought by Royalton Community Radio, WHRV, KJZX-Austin, WOUB, KIOS-FM Omaha Public Radio and more


  • Added: Nov 19, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 8
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 KCSM, Royalton Community Radio, KJZX-Austin, WHRV, WOUB and more


  • Added: Nov 12, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 10
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 Royalton Community Radio, WHRV, KJZX-Austin, WOUB, WUTC and more


  • Added: Nov 05, 2023
  • Length: 58:59
  • Purchases: 7