Native American jazz singer, Julia Keefe first came to Jazz Inspired in 2019, two days after receiving her master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music. Now, seven years later, Julia has created her own path, celebrating her heritage by creating the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band, one of the only jazz big bands comprised exclusively of Native and Indigenous people. With this band and her smaller ensembles, Julia has opened for Tony Bennett, Esperanza Spalding and two weeks after we recorded this show, Julia would open for one of her longtime heroes, Bonnie Raitt.

Chuck Berry, Part 3 - 1958. Chuck Berry has been called the "Father of Rock n' Roll" and with good reason. He took the blues of T-Bone Walker and B.B. King, the guitar riffs of Carl Hogan and mixed it with the fiddle and Western Swing music of Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys. Then he rolled it all into one big sonic blast. Rhythm & Blues become Rock n' Roll when Chuck Berry began writing songs aimed at teenagers, finally granting them their own music. The final part of a 3-part feature on Chuck Berry's early career. This week, Matt The Cat focuses on Berry's recorded and released output during the pivotal year of 1958. He began the year with a bang and the #1 R&B tune "Sweet Little Sixteen." 1958 was also the year that gave us "Reelin' and Rockin'," "Johnny B. Goode," "Around and Around" and "Carol." Just like in the first parts of this series, this week's program is packed with some fantastic and seldom-heard instrumentals, showcasing Chuck Berry's true guitar chops. So, dig this final "Juke In The Back" treatment of the legendary "Shakespeare Of Rock n' Roll," Chuck Berry.