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Johnny Otis. This week, the late, great Johnny Otis is honored. 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 where the local kids were his friends during the 1920s and 30s. His given name -Veliotes- was shortened to “Otis” by his classmates; it stuck and he used it professionally. He celebrated the vibrancy of African American music and its power to unite people across racial boundaries, coming to think of himself as “Black by persuasion.” He went from playing drums at the Club Alabam on Central Ave. in LA to opening his own Barrelhouse Club in Watts in 1947, creating a scene of his own. His first records were made just as the big bands were dying off and the jump combos were rising. Johnny Otis did not interpret rhythm and blues, Johnny Otis WAS rhythm & blues. From his first recordings for Leon Rene's Excelsior Label in 1945 to his commercial breakthrough in 1949-50 for Herman Lubinsky's Savoy Label to his great rock n roll success with "Willie And The Hand Jive" for Capitol in 1958, Johnny Otis did more than almost anyone to push Black Music into the mainstream, creating rock 'n roll. Highlights from the early part of Otis amazing career from 1945-1958. It s not an overstatement to say that the music we enjoy today is here because of what Johnny Otis recorded, played and produced in the late 1940s and early 1950s. This Juke is truly The Johnny Otis Show. -
Don DixonJohn Scofield (ENCORE). Guitarist John Scofield picks 10 of his favorite tracks from his own catalog and shares the stories behind them as he celebrates 50 years of recorded music.
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Julia Lee. During 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 issued in early 1930 and showcases her singing style. Remembered today for her double entendre songs of the 1940s, Julia Lee was much more than that. Matt The Cat takes you through her early years in the Kansas City scene and then her rise to fame recording for Capitol Records in LA. She scored two #1 R&B records with 1947's "Snatch and Grab It" and 1948's "King Size Papa." Each of those singles remained on the charts for over a half a year! She was so popular during the late 1940s that it's hard for us today to truly appreciate her widespread success. "King Size Papa" and "I Didn't Like It The First Time (The Spinach Song)," a tune probably about marijuana, actually crossed over into the Pop Chart! An amazing feat considering the slightly risque subject matter as well as the segregation of musical styles at the time. Showcasing the records and artists that time has somehow forgotten is exactly what the "Juke In The Back" is all about and this week is no exception as we highlight the wonderful career of Julia Lee. We lost her way too soon as she died at the age of 55 in 1958, but this week, her music lives again. -
Fred Hersch (NEW!). Pianist Fred Hersch, who turns 70 this year, looks back on a storied career filled with some of the most daring and imaginative collaborations in jazz. He shares 10 personal favorites, plus brand-new music. -
M.O.M. Twin brothers Louis and Francois Mouton met wind instrumentalist Jowee Omicil on the set of the television show The Eddy, and the improvisational chemistry was instant and extensive. In fact, it was so extensive the three decided to take the show on the road, and calling themselves M.O.M., they graced our stage for an evening of improvisational jazz with just a twinge of hip hop thrown in for good measure. Featuring Louis Moutin on drums, Francois Moutin on bass and Jowee Omicil on wind instruments, Daniel Peck is your host for this October 27th, 2022 performance of M.O.M. … Live at the Bop Stop. -
Lloyd Price: The Specialty Sides. Lloyd 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 to the birth of Rock n' Roll. Matt The Cat presents clips from a lengthy interview with Lloyd Price from 2005 so that Lloyd can tell his story in his own words. He discusses how "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" was recorded, why he was drafted and sent to Korea and how is cousin Larry Williams almost took his song "Just Because" away from him. Lloyd was an entrepreneur, a record executive, a boxing promoter, a professional bowler as well as a R&B legend and early Rock n' Roll icon. -
The Golden Age: A Newport Jazz Festival Special Part 1(ENCORE). Hear an unforgettable lineup of music from the Newport Jazz Festival, hand-picked by Christian McBride. Check out rare sets from the Clifford Brown/Max Roach Quintet, Dave Brubeck and Horace Silver. -
The Stars Shine: A Newport Jazz Festival Special Part 2 (ENCORE). Hear historic music from the Newport Jazz Festival, hand-picked by Christian McBride. Tune in to rare sets from Ray Charles, Cannonball Adderley, Sarah Vaughan, Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong.
