Episode #732 – Lowell Fulson

Air Week: May 13-19, 2024

Lowell Fulson

This week, the “Juke In The Back” spotlights Lowell Fulson, one of the blues’ most versatile and vastly underrated talents. In the late 1940s, Fulson stormed the charts with his first hit “Three O’Clock Blues,” a song that B.B. King would take to the top of the charts in 1951. Fulson started the 1950s with a bang, scoring six charted hits for Swingtime Records in 1950 alone. By ’54, he was on Checker Records out of Chicago with a song that would be covered by Elvis in 1960, “Reconsider Baby.” Fulson wrote many of his own songs and was a major inspiration to both B.B. King and Ray Charles, who played in his touring band in 1950. Get the story behind the story on a true rhythm & blues legend, it’s Lowell Folsun, this week on the “Juke In The Back” with Matt The Cat.

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Tagged with blues, Jump Blues, R&B, Rhythm & Blues, SwingTime Records, West Coast R&B.

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By Matt The Cat – May 12, 2024

Episode #731 – Jesse Belvin

Air Week: May 6-12, 2024

Jesse Belvin

“Juke In The Back” is proud to dedicate an entire show to Jesse Belvin, one of greatest talents to come out of LA in the 1950s. Belvin was born in Texas, but raised near Central Avenue in Los Angeles, where he soaked up the local R&B scene. After transferring to Jefferson High School, he fell in with Richard Berry, Gaynel Hodge and other budding vocal talents. After meeting Marvin Phillips, whom he would collaborate with on and off for years, Belvin sang his first lead on record for Big Jay McNeely in 1951. From there, he recorded for Specialty Records with Marvin as Jesse & Marvin and scored a #2 hit with “Dream Girl.” He would cut sides for Recorded in Hollywood, Modern, Cash, Money, Tender, RCA and many other labels. Jesse Belvin was respected by his contemporaries and always showed a sophistication in his singing that was far beyond his years. His musical phrasing was impeccable. This week, Matt The Cat will focus on Jesse Belvin’s greatest sides, released between 1951-56, so don’t miss a single minute of the “Juke In The Back.”

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Tagged with 1950s, Big Jay McNeely, Doo Wop, Los Angeles, Marvin Phillips, R&B, Rhythm & Blues, Vocal Group.

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By Matt The Cat – May 5, 2024

Episode #730 – Elmore James: 1951-55

Air Week: April 29-May 5, 2024

Elmore James: 1951-55

Elmore James never tried to have crossover success. He was a bluesman through and through; an ambassador of the Mississippi Delta Blues with a modern, 1950s electric twist. Elmore’s blues was as pure as his ambitions when starting out as a sideman for now legendary blues harpist Sonny Boy Williamson II. James played on several Williamson sessions held in 1951 at Trumpet Records in Jackson, MS, until he was coaxed into playing the Robert Johnson tune, “Dust My Broom” in August. Trumpet gave James one side of the original 78 RPM release and in early 1952, “Dust My Broom” became a national R&B hit! Ike Turner, who was scouting for the Bihari Brothers of LA’s Modern Records, found Elmore and got him signed to a four year deal with the Biharis. They issued his first record on their Meteor subsidiary and “I Believe,” a reworking of “Dust My Broom,” also became a top 10 national hit. Elmore James wouldn’t score another hit record until 1960, but in those years in-between, James issued some incredible and highly influential blues sides, featuring his legendary slide guitar style. James would go on to inspire The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, early Fleetwood Mac and others, but would not live to see it. This week, Matt The Cat dusts off some prime Elmore James 78s from several labels and in many blues styles. Many of these records built off the original “Dust My Broom” guitar lick, but they are also good enough to stard firmly on their own.

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Tagged with blues, Delta Blues, Flair Records, Jump Blues, Meteor Records, R&B, Rhythm & Blues, slide guitar, Trumpet Records.

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By Matt The Cat – April 28, 2024

Episode #729 – The R&B of RCA

Air Week: April 22-28, 2024

The R&B of RCA

It is a popular belief that the seeds of Rhythm & Blues, Rock n’ Roll and even Jazz were planted by the small independent labels and that the major labels exhaustively played catch-up as the music grew in popularity. That is simply not true. The major labels were there from the beginning, often breaking important artists, many with mainstream leanings, while the indie labels promoted the more “grittier” aspects of the music, which we view today as the more “authentic” sound of R&B, Rock n’ Roll and Jazz. And so, like Columbia and Decca, RCA Victor released some stellar Rhythm & Blues during the late 1940s into the early 1950s, before the label signed Elvis in 1955. It’s hard to imagine Rock n’ Roll emerging from a world void of Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup as Elvis and his contemporaries took so much inspiration from him, including covering his songs. Crudup was a star on RCA’s blues roster as was Jazz Gillum. John Greer, The Robins and even Jesse Belvin all spent time on RCA. This week, Matt The Cat shines the spotlight on some great Blues, Jump Blues, Rhythm & Blues and vocal group sounds from RCA Victor during the golden age of R&B. It’s the R&B of RCA on the “Juke In The Back.”

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Tagged with 1940s, 1950s, blues, Doo Wop, Jump Blues, R&B, Rhythm & Blues, Vocal Group.

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By Matt The Cat – April 21, 2024

Juke In The Back Promo

1940s & â€™50s Rhythm & Blues

At the end of the Second World War, economics forced the big bands to trim their once great size and thus, the Jump Blues combo was born. Between 1946-1954, rhythm and blues laid the tracks for what was to become Rock nâ€™ Roll. So how come, 70 years later, this vibrant and influential music is still so unknown to so many?

Matt The Cat is going to change that with the radio program, â€œJuke In The Back.â€ These were the records that you couldnâ€™t hear on the jukebox in the front of the establishment. To hear all this great 1950s rhythm & blues, you had to go to â€œJuke In The Back.â€

Episode #732 – Lowell Fulson

Lowell Fulson