At the end of the Second World War, economics forced the big bands to trim their once great size and thus, the Jump Blues combo was born. Between 1946-1954, rhythm and blues laid the tracks for what was to become Rock n’ Roll. So how come, 75 years later, this vibrant and influential music is still so unknown to so many? Matt The Cat is going to change that with the radio program, “Juke In The Back.” These were the records that you couldn’t hear on the jukebox in the front of the establishment. To hear all this great 1950s rhythm & blues, you had to go to “Juke In The Back.”
https://www.jukeintheback.org
Episode #483 – Louis Jordan, Pt. 2: 1942-45
Air Week: August 5-11, 2019
Louis Jordan, Pt. 2: 1942-45
The “Juke In The Back” presents Part 2 of a mammoth, multi-part series, featuring 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 56 top 10s. Several of his records even crossed over into the Pop Top 10, which was an almost unheard of feat at the time. Part 2 of our series picks up in 1942, right before Jordan’s first hit record, “I’m Gonna Leave You On The Outskirts Of Town,” and covers his first 5 #1 records, which began with “What’s The Use Of Getting Sober (When You’re Gonna Get Drunk Again” in 1943. The hits started as Decca assigned legendary jazz producer Milt Gabler to produce his sessions. Their first session together took place right before the Recording Ban of 1942 went into effect. During the ban, the musicians union refused to let artists record for any recording company until their royalty demands were met. This kept Jordan out of the studio for over a year. Once the ban ended in September of ’43, Jordan was back in the studio cutting hit record after hit record. It’s during this time that he became the “King Of The Jukeboxes.” So don’t miss one fantabulous Louis Jordan record on this week’s “Juke In The Back.”
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