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Juke In The Back

Jimmy Witherspoon, Pt. 2 - 1950-56 Jimmy Witherspoon is one of most influential blues shouters to emerge after WWII and yet he remains just a footnote in the evolution of Rhythm & Blues and Rock n" Roll. In part 1 of our 2 part feature on Spoon, we focused on his early recordings with Jay McShann"s band from 1945-50. During that time, Spoon recorded his signature tune, "Ain"t Nobody"s Business," which topped the R&B charts during the summer of 1949. This week in part 2, we pick it up in 1950,

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Juke In The Back: #811 - Jimmy Witherspoon, Pt. 2 -...

Juke In The Back ·

2025/11/17

Jimmy Witherspoon, Pt. 2 - 1950-56Jimmy Witherspoon is one of most influential blues shouters to emerge after WWII and yet he remains just a footnote in the evolution of Rhythm & Blues and Rock n' Roll. In part 1 of our 2 part feature on Spoon, we focused on his early recordings with Jay McShann's band from 1945-50. During that time, Spoon recorded his signature tune, "Ain't Nobody's Business," which topped the R&B charts during the summer of 1949. This week in part 2, we pick it up in 1950,

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Juke In The Back: #810 - Jimmy Witherspoon, Pt. 1 -...

Juke In The Back ·

2025/11/10

Jimmy Witherspoon, Pt. 1 - 1945-50Jimmy Witherspoon is one of most influential blues shouters to emerge after WWII and yet he remains just a footnote in the evolution of Rhythm & Blues and Rock n' Roll. Originally from Arkansas, 'Spoon settled in Los Angeles after his time in the Merchant Marines during the war. He replaced fellow-shouter Walter Brown in Jay McShann's band and was featured on McShann's first single for the fledgling Philo Label in 1945. Witherspoon is best remembered for his 1949

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Juke In The Back: #808 - Spooky Halloween Rhythm &...

Juke In The Back ·

2025/10/27

Spooky Halloween Rhythm & BluesMatt The Cat experiences some paranormal rhythms coming out of his Juke In The Back as we celebrate the truly spooky, sinister and down-right crazy sounds of a vintage rhythm & blues Halloween. Eugene Fox meets the devil, The Hollywood Flames take us to Frankensteins Den and Bill Doggett throws a Monsters Party. Its a treat, not a trick to hear an alternate take of Screamin Jay Hawkins 1956 classic, I Put A Spell On You, with EXTRA screaming and a killer sax solo

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Juke In The Back: #806 - Atlantic Records, Pt. 13 -...

Juke In The Back ·

2025/10/13

Atlantic Records, Pt. 13 - ATCO RecordsAtlantic Records was the most influential, significant and important independent record label to come out of the late-1940s, during a time when there were many great, small indie labels being born. What gave Atlantic the advantage over Specialty, Chess, Modern, Vee-Jay, Exclusive, King, etc is the breadth of material, variety of music styles and the sheer number of hit records that led to the Rock n' Roll explosion of the mid-1950s. Matt The Cat and the "Juke

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Juke In The Back: #805 - Atlantic Records, Pt. 12 -...

Juke In The Back ·

2025/10/06

Atlantic Records, Pt. 12 - 1957Atlantic Records was the most influential, significant and important independent record label to come out of the late-1940s, during a time when there were many great, small indie labels being born. What gave Atlantic the advantage over Specialty, Chess, Modern, Vee-Jay, Exclusive, King, etc is the breadth of material, variety of music styles and the sheer number of hit records that led to the Rock n' Roll explosion of the mid-1950s. Matt The Cat and the "Juke In The

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Juke In The Back: #804 - Atlantic Records, Pt. 11 -...

Juke In The Back ·

2025/09/29

Atlantic Records, Pt. 11 - 1956Atlantic Records was the most influential, significant and important independent record label to come out of the late-1940s, during a time when there were many great, small indie labels being born. What gave Atlantic the advantage over Specialty, Chess, Modern, Vee-Jay, Exclusive, King, etc is the breadth of material, variety of music styles and the sheer number of hit records that led to the Rock n' Roll explosion of the mid-1950s. Matt The Cat and the "Juke In The

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Juke In The Back: #803 - Atlantic Records, Pt. 10 -...

Juke In The Back ·

2025/09/22

Atlantic Records, Pt. 10 - 1955-56Atlantic Records was the most influential, significant and important independent record label to come out of the late-1940s, during a time when there were many great, small indie labels being born. What gave Atlantic the advantage over Specialty, Chess, Modern, Vee-Jay, Exclusive, King, etc is the breadth of material, variety of music styles and the sheer number of hit records that led to the Rock n' Roll explosion of the mid-1950s. Matt The Cat and the "Juke In

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Juke In The Back: #802 - Atlantic Records, Pt. 9 -...

Juke In The Back ·

2025/09/15

Atlantic Records, Pt. 9 - 1955Atlantic Records was the most influential, significant and important independent record label to come out of the late-1940s, during a time when there were many great, small indie labels being born. What gave Atlantic the advantage over Specialty, Chess, Modern, Vee-Jay, Exclusive, King, etc is the breadth of material, variety of music styles and the sheer number of hit records that led to the Rock n' Roll explosion of the mid-1950s. Matt The Cat and the "Juke In The

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Juke In The Back: #801 - Atlantic Records, Pt. 8 -...

Juke In The Back ·

2025/09/08

Atlantic Records, Pt. 8 - 1954, Pt. 2Atlantic Records was the most influential, significant and important independent record label to come out of the late-1940s, during a time when there were many great, small indie labels being born. What gave Atlantic the advantage over Specialty, Chess, Modern, Vee-Jay, Exclusive, King, etc is the breadth of material, variety of music styles and the sheer number of hit records that led to the Rock n' Roll explosion of the mid-1950s. Matt The Cat and the "Juke

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Juke In The Back: #800 - Atlantic Records, Pt. 7 -...

Juke In The Back ·

2025/09/01

Atlantic Records, Pt. 7 - 1954, Pt. 1Atlantic Records was the most influential, significant and important independent record label to come out of the late-1940s, during a time when there were many great, small indie labels being born. What gave Atlantic the advantage over Specialty, Chess, Modern, Vee-Jay, Exclusive, King, etc is the breadth of material, variety of music styles and the sheer number of hit records that led to the Rock n' Roll explosion of the mid-1950s. Matt The Cat and the "Juke

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Juke In The Back: #798 - Atlantic Records, Pt. 5 -...

Juke In The Back ·

2025/08/18

Atlantic Records, Pt. 5 - 1952-53Atlantic Records was the most influential, significant and important independent record label to come out of the late-1940s, during a time when there were many great, small indie labels being born. What gave Atlantic the advantage over Specialty, Chess, Modern, Vee-Jay, Exclusive, King, etc is the breadth of material, variety of music styles and the sheer number of hit records that led to the Rock n' Roll explosion of the mid-1950s. Matt The Cat and the "Juke In

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Juke In The Back: #797 - Atlantic Records, Pt. 4 -...

Juke In The Back ·

2025/08/11

Atlantic Records, Pt. 4 - 1952Atlantic Records was the most influential, significant and important independent record label to come out of the late-1940s, during a time when there were many great, small indie labels being born. What gave Atlantic the advantage over Specialty, Chess, Modern, Vee-Jay, Exclusive, King, etc is the breadth of material, variety of music styles and the sheer number of hit records that led to the Rock n' Roll explosion of the mid-1950s. Matt The Cat and the "Juke In The

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Juke In The Back: #794 - Atlantic Records, Pt. 1 -...

Juke In The Back ·

2025/07/21

Atlantic Records, Pt. 1 - 1947-49Atlantic Records was the most influential, significant and important independent record label to come out of the late-1940s, during a time when there were many great, small indie labels being born. What gave Atlantic the advantage over Specialty, Chess, Modern, Vee-Jay, Exclusive, King, etc is the breadth of material, variety of music styles and the sheer number of hit records that led to the Rock n' Roll explosion of the mid-1950s. Matt The Cat and the "Juke In

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Juke In The Back: #793 - Varetta Dillard - July...

Juke In The Back ·

2025/07/14

Varetta DillardVaretta Dillard might be a footnote in R&B and Rock n' Roll history, having only scored 3 R&B charting records, but her body of recorded work speaks for itself. She was more than just a Ruth Brown impersonator, though she could sound a lot like her idol. Dillard was also part of pop culture, having waxed a tribute record to the recently deceased Johnny Ace ("Johnny Has Gone" in 1955) and making the top 10 with it. She scored 2 R&B shuffle hits with "Easy Easy Baby" in '52 and "Have

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Juke In The Back: #792 - Tiny Bradshaw - July 7-13, 2025

Juke In The Back ·

2025/07/07

Tiny BradshawTiny Bradshaw put in his time, spending 16 years of making music with various big bands, including his own, without ever scoring a national hit. But when things turned around for the drummer, pianist, composer and bandleader, his star began to rise. He scored a #2 R&B smash with "Well Of Well" in 1950, just as he was beginning his 9 year association with Cincinnati's King Records. This would be his biggest hit and best seller, but not his best remembered. That distinction would go to

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Juke In The Back: #791 - 4th of July: Summertime,...

Juke In The Back ·

2025/06/30

4th of July: Summertime, Travel, Food and Baseball!The Juke In The Back jumps into summer by spotlighting THE summertime holiday, the 4th of July. We're diggin' the 4th in song with tunes about summertime and the foods enjoyed in summer by Sam Cooke, Chuck Berry, The Basin Street Boys, Chris Powell (hot dog) and John Brim (ice cream). We'll also focus on America's pastime with R&B songs about Baseball, honoring some of the top players who crossed over from the Negro Leagues into the Major Leagues

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Juke In The Back: #790 - Lloyd Price: The Specialty...

Juke In The Back ·

2025/06/23

Lloyd Price: The Specialty SidesLloyd Price would become one of the great hit-makers of early Rock n Roll, but this is the story of the soul that came BEFORE Rock n Roll. Lloyd was just a kid when bandleader and talent scout, Dave Bartholomew brought him to Cosimo Matassa's J&M Studio in early 1952 to make a record of a tune he had heard Lloyd singing. "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" hit #1 during the summer of '52, becoming an instant classic and contributing to the R&B foundation that would eventually lead

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Juke In The Back: #789 - Julia Lee - June 16-22, 2025

Juke In The Back ·

2025/06/16

Julia LeeDuring the 1920s, Kansas City was the heart of Jazz and the epicenter of American Music. George E. Lee and His Novelty Singing Orchestra was one of the most popular bands in that town at that time. At the center of the band, playing piano and singing was Julia Lee, the sister of bandleader George E. Lee. Julia was a fantastic singer with a powerful voice. We begin this week's program, dedicated to Julia Lee, with one of her earliest records, "He's Tall, Dark And Handsome," which was

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Juke In The Back: #788 - Johnny Otis - June 9-15, 2025

Juke In The Back ·

2025/06/09

Johnny OtisThis week, the Juke In The Back is proud to honor the late, great Johnny Otis. He was a true renaissance man. Otis was a singer, songwriter, drummer, bandleader, talent scout, record label owner and radio / TV show host and that's not everything he did. He was the son of Greek immigrants, growing up in a mostly Black section of Vallejo, CA during the 1920s and 30s. He not only absorbed Black Culture, he became a part of it, changing his last name to Otis in order to sound more black. He

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Juke In The Back: #786 - The Larks, Pt. 2 - 1952-55 -...

Juke In The Back ·

2025/05/26

The Larks, Pt. 2 - 1952-55The Larks are one of the most influential and best sounding vocal groups of the early 1950s and yet, they are never remembered quite as well as many of their contemporaries. Last week in part 1 of our 2 part series, we showcased The Larks' early recordings from 1950-52, including their only 2 charting singles, "Eyesight To The Blind" and "Little Side Car." This week, as we pick it back up in 1952, the original Larks group disintegrates and members go off on their own

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