Air Week: March 4-10, 2019

Big Joe Turner, Pt. 1 – 1938-50

This week, the “Juke In The Back” is loaded with nothing but the great recordings of Big Joe Turner, the “Boss Of The Blues.” Part one covers Joe Turner’s early years from his Kansas City beginnings to his big breakthrough in NYC at the first “From Spirituals To Swing” show in 1938 to just before he signed to Atlantic Records in 1951. Turner recorded for many different labels during the 1940s and we’re going to feature the best, including his classics “Roll ‘Em Pete,” “Cherry Red,” “Careless Love,” “SK Blues” and many more. The show also features interview clips with the late Joe Turner taken from a classic 1982 James Austin interview. Next week, we’ll have part two and feature Joe Turner’s highly successful 1950s recordings that led up to the birth of rock n’ roll.

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