Hour one of this week’s Blues Before Sunrise takes a wide-ranging musical route through jazz, blues, popular song, boogie-woogie and rhythm-driven performances. The hour opens with Dorothy Dandridge and “Jig in the Jungle,” immediately establishing the eclectic spirit of the program. Dandridge’s performance is followed by three selections from Cab Calloway, whose unmistakable vocal personality and swinging arrangements bring “Dawn Time,” “I Got a Gal Named Nettie” and “Foo a Little Bally-Hoon” to life.

Joe Carroll follows with an extended sequence of recordings that includes “Pennie from Heaven,” “Two Wrongs Won’t Make a Right,” “I Was in the Mood” and “Got a Penny Benny.” Carroll’s lively performances lead into “Rhythm of the Rhythm Band,” recorded with the Tramp Band, adding an instrumental and ensemble dimension to the hour.

Ella Fitzgerald then takes the spotlight with “Preview” and “My One & Only Love.” Her effortless phrasing and remarkable vocal control provide a striking contrast to the energetic performances that precede her. The Mills Brothers continue the vocal tradition with “Nobody’s Sweetheart” and their spirited rendition of “Tiger Rag.”

The music then moves into the wartime era with the Four Vagabonds and “Rosie the Riveter,” followed by Dan Burley’s piano-driven “Boogie in D.” Burley’s performance brings the blues and boogie-woogie firmly back into the foreground, emphasizing the importance of the piano as a rhythmic force in American music.

The hour takes another turn with “Ma Rainey’s Mystery Record” by Ma Rainey, one of the foundational figures in recorded blues. Rainey’s presence provides an important connection to the classic blues tradition and to the generation of Paramount performers who helped establish the sound that would become central to this week’s program.

The first hour closes with Willie Jackson’s “Blow Jackson Blow,” leaving the listener with one more lively blues-inflected performance before the program moves into its second hour. Taken together, these selections create a fascinating musical panorama, connecting vaudeville, jazz, blues, vocal harmony, boogie-woogie and popular song.

Although the central focus of this week’s Blues Before Sunrise is Will Ezell’s work as an accompanist, the opening hour provides valuable context for the musical world surrounding the Paramount recordings. The music reflects the broad range of styles that were developing alongside the blues and demonstrates how easily musicians and performers crossed boundaries between popular entertainment, jazz and blues.

From Dorothy Dandridge and Cab Calloway to Ma Rainey and Willie Jackson, hour one is a lively introduction to a program built around the connections between performers, styles and eras. It is a musical journey that sets the stage for the deeper exploration of blues history still to come.

PLAYLIST

JIG IN THE JUNGLE — DOROTHY DANDRIDGE
DAWN TIME — CAB CALLOWAY
I GOT A GAL NAMED NETTIE — CAB CALLOWAY
FOO A LITTLE BALLY-HOON — CAB CALLOWAY
PENNIE FROM HEAVEN — JOE CARROLL
TWO WRONGS WON’T MAKE A RIGHT — JOE CARROLL
I WAS IN THE MOOD — JOE CARROLL
GOT A PENNY BENNY — JOE CARROLL
RHYTHM OF THE RHYTHM BAND — JOE CARROLL/TRAMP BAND
PREVIEW — ELLA FITZGERALD
MY ONE & ONLY LOVE — ELLA FITZGERALD
NOBODY’S SWEETHEART — MILLS BROS
TIGER RAG — MILLS BROS
ROSIE THE RIVETER — FOUR VAGABONDS
BOOGIE IN D — DAN BURLEY
MA RAINEY’S MYSTERY RECORD — MA RAINEY
BLOW JACKSON BLOW — WILLIE JACKSON