This week on Blues Before Sunrise, there is no single theme—and that is part of the fun. Instead, Steve Cushing puts together one of those wide-ranging programs where practically every hour offers another reason to stay tuned. Louis Jordan, Lionel Hampton, the King Cole Trio, Rosa Henderson, prewar blues from the Bluebird label, classic gospel, B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf, Freddy King, Jimmy McCracklin, and an extended look at the early Vee-Jay recordings of the Staple Singers all make appearances.

Hour One gets things moving with a lively mixture of swing, jump blues, jazz, and rhythm & blues. Wild Bill Davis opens the show before Louis Jordan takes center stage with four selections that demonstrate why he remains one of the essential figures in the development of postwar rhythm & blues. Lionel Hampton follows with three energetic performances, while Ricky Jordan adds a trio of blues selections. The King Cole Trio then provides another change of pace with four recordings before the hour moves through performances by Cats & the Fiddle, Meade Lux Lewis, Perry Bradford, and Stan Getz. It is an hour built around musical variety, but the common thread is great musicianship and an unmistakable sense of swing.

Hour Two begins with Cousin Joe and continues through a fascinating assortment of lesser-known blues and jazz performers. Coot Grant and Sox Wilson, Calvin Boze, Pigmeat Markham, Lem Johnson, Eddie Mack, Julian Dash, and Piano Kid Edwards all contribute distinctive performances. The centerpiece of the hour is a four-song set by Rosa Henderson, one of the important classic blues singers whose recordings deserve considerably more attention. Her performances of “Down South Blues,” “So Long to You and the Blues,” “Rough House Blues,” and “I’m Saving It All for You” provide an opportunity to hear an accomplished singer from the classic blues era in her own voice.

The hour then turns toward gospel with performances by the Shelby Gospel Four, Rev. Isaiah Shelton, the Sensational Nightingales, and Mahalia Jackson. The combination of secular blues and deeply rooted gospel traditions demonstrates one of the central themes running throughout Blues Before Sunrise: the close relationship between the various forms of African American music.

Hour Three presents a prewar blues checklist of sorts, featuring recordings from an impressive roster of artists associated with the Bluebird label and its extensive catalog. Sonny Boy Williamson I, Tampa Red, Lil Green, Washboard Sam, Walter Davis, Casey Bill Weldon, Leroy Carr, Big Bill Broonzy, Jazz Gillum, Roosevelt Sykes, Big Maceo, St. Louis Jimmy, Memphis Minnie, Robert Nighthawk, Tommy McClennan, Robert Jr. Lockwood, and Dr. Clayton are all represented. The hour concludes with two powerful gospel-blues performances from Rev. J.M. Gates, including the unforgettable “Hitler or Hell.”

Hour Four turns toward electric blues and features a heavyweight lineup. B.B. King opens the hour with three selections, including “Sweet Sixteen,” before Howlin’ Wolf contributes three performances of his own. Snooky Pryor, Lee Graves, Luther Stoneham, L.C. Williams, Elmore Nixon, and Lightning Hopkins follow before the hour moves into performances by Freddy King and Jimmy McCracklin. It is a particularly strong hour for postwar blues, bringing together several generations of artists who helped establish the modern electric blues sound.

Hour Five closes the broadcast with another wide-ranging set. The Charioteers and Henry Mancini provide the opening selections before Billy Eckstine and Dinah Washington bring their distinctive sophistication to the program. Then comes the major feature of the final hour: an extended set of early Staple Singers recordings from their years on the Vee-Jay label. Six selections reveal the group during an important period in its development, when the Staples family was establishing the distinctive blend of gospel harmony, blues feeling, and social consciousness that would eventually make them international stars.

The hour continues with Rufus Thomas, followed by Roscoe Gordon and his infectious “Do the Chicken” and “Real Pretty Mama.” Fleetwood Mac’s “Albatross” provides the familiar closing instrumental.

From the classic blues era to modern electric blues, from jazz and jump music to gospel and early soul, this edition of Blues Before Sunrise is exactly what its host promises: no special theme, but plenty of reasons to listen. The program moves freely across decades and styles while maintaining the show’s commitment to exploring, preserving, and popularizing the first fifty years of recorded American music.