Air Week: February 28-March 6, 2022 Roy Byrd aka Professor Longhair What better way to celebrate Mardi Gras than with the “Grandaddy of New Orleans Rhythm & Blues”? That, cats & kittens, is Henry Roeland Byrd, aka Roy Byrd, aka Professor Longhair. Byrd’s piano and singing style are like none that came before or since. […]

Air Week: February 21-27, 2022 New Orleans R&B, Pt. 3 – 1955-57 Get ready for Carnival with part 3 of “Juke In The Back”‘s 3 part series on the great, influential and infectious music that came out of New Orleans, one of America’s most fertile musical cities. In fact, the “Crescent City” is often cited […]

Air Week: February 14-20, 2022 New Orleans R&B, Pt. 2 – 1953-55 Get ready for Carnival with part 2 of “Juke In The Back”‘s 3 part series on the great, influential and infectious music that came out of New Orleans, one of America’s most fertile musical cities. In fact, the “Crescent City” is often cited […]

Air Week: February 7-13, 2022 New Orleans R&B, Pt. 1 Get ready for Carnival as the “Juke In The Back” begins a 3 part series on the great, influential and infectious music that came out of New Orleans, one of America’s most fertile musical cities. In fact, the “Crescent City” is often cited as the […]

Air Week: January 31-February 6, 2022 Gene Phillips This week, the “Juke In The Back” is proud to shine the spotlight on guitarist Gene Phillips, one of the unsung heroes of the 1940s Los Angeles Rhythm & Blues scene. Born in St. Louis in 1915, Gene came out to LA as part of the Mills […]

Air Week: January 24-30, 2022 Johnny Ace He is often called the “first casualty of rock n’ roll,” since his life was brought to a controversial end just as rock n’ roll was picking up steam in the mainstream, but Johnny Ace’s demise does not overshadow his impressive, yet short career.  This week’s “Juke In The […]

Air Week: January 17-23, 2022 R&B Influences: The Ink Spots The Ink Spots, along with the Mills Brothers, Delta Rhythm Boys and Golden Gate Quartet built the musical bridge from the vaudevillian barber shop quartets of the early 20th Century to the post WWII vocal groups. These quartets modernized the singing style and even came […]

Air Week: January 10-16, 2022 1952: Jukebox Rhythm Review Pt. 2 This week, the jukebox is in the spotlight as Matt The Cat takes you back 70 years and highlights the top jukebox hits of the second half of 1952. You’ll hear a lot more than just the big #1 R&B hits this week as […]

Air Week: January 3-9, 2022 1952: Jukebox Rhythm Review Pt. 1 This week, the jukebox is in the spotlight as Matt The Cat takes you back 70 years and highlights the top jukebox hits of the first half of 1952. You’ll hear a lot more than just the big #1 R&B hits this week as […]

Air Week: December 27, 2021 – January 2, 2022 Combo Records “Juke In The Back” ends 2021 with a profile of Combo Records, a small, independent Los Angeles record label that only scored one national hit, but had a stellar roster full of the top R&B acts of its day. Combo was formed in 1951 […]