Air Week: September 2-8, 2019

Louis Jordan, Pt. 6: 1950-56

The “Juke In The Back” presents Part 6, the final part of our mammoth, 6 part series, on the most important musical figure of the 1940s, Louis Jordan. He was the most successful African-American artist of the decade, selling millions of records to both Black and White audiences. Jordan charted 57 singles between 1942 and 1951, scoring 18 #1 R&B hits and 54 top 10s. Several of his records even crossed over into the Pop Top 10, which was an almost unheard of feat at the time. Matt The Cat closes the series focussing on 1950 through ’56, just as Rock ‘n Roll was breaking. Jordan scored his 18th and final #1 R&B record in 1951 with “Blue Light Boogie Pt. 1 & 2” and experimented with fronting a big band for a time in ’52. By the end of ’53, Jordan’s 15 year stint with Decca Records ended. He next recorded some stellar sides for Aladdin Records, Vic, X and Mercury, but the hits were long gone. The singles on this week’s program show that even in the lean times, Louis Jordan still put out quality records. He made some strong efforts at trying to capture the Rock n’ Rollers, but his time in the musical limelight was over. There is no denying that Louis Jordan is almost single-handily responsible for the development of post War Rhythm & Blues as well as the birth of Rock n’ Roll. The “Juke In The Back” is proud to have dedicated 6 programs to this legendary performer and American Icon.

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