The final hour of this week’s Blues Before Sunrise eases into the quiet corners of the night, where blues, jazz, and soul overlap in mood and meaning. Without a special theme to dictate direction, Steve Cushing leans into a sequence that feels both spontaneous and deeply intentional—a late-night reverie that moves from smoky nightclub sophistication to pure electric grit, and finally, to a gentle, contemplative close.
The hour opens in velvety harmony with the Mills Brothers, whose “Sweet & Slow” sets a relaxed, unhurried pace. Few vocal groups could blend swing and sentiment the way the Mills Brothers did; their harmonies move like brushstrokes on a painting, effortlessly smooth yet emotionally direct. The tone continues with Lester Young’s “These Foolish Things,” a timeless meditation where Pres’s tenor sax breathes a wistful melancholy—each phrase a sigh between memory and desire.
Johnny Hartman follows with “Why Was I Born,” his warm baritone unspooling across the melody with unmatched control. Hartman’s ability to turn vulnerability into strength gives the hour a deep emotional anchor. Then Sarah Vaughan’s “After Hours” shifts the energy toward the shadows—smoky, subtle, and full of quiet tension. Vaughan’s phrasing transforms a simple tune into a small drama, and in her hands, the blues finds its most refined form.
Brother Jack McDuff’s “Thirty Three Ninety Six” brings a burst of Hammond B3 heat, breaking up the slow burn with organ-driven swing. It’s the perfect pivot into the vocal interplay of Ella Fitzgerald and the Mills Brothers on “Dedicated to You.” Their chemistry is playful but sincere, steeped in the language of jazz and blues devotion. The duet’s follow-up, “Big Boy Blues,” offers a sly nod to the tradition—both reverent and mischievous, reminding listeners that blues can wink while it aches.
From here, the mood turns raw. Lowell Fulson takes over with a run of sides that define postwar electric refinement. “Reconsider Baby,” “Rock ’Em Dead,” and “Head Hung Down” all display Fulson’s relaxed phrasing and deep tone—every note deliberate, every vocal phrase tinged with quiet frustration and pride. “I Believe I’ll Give It Up” feels like a crossroads song, halfway between resignation and renewal. In Fulson’s understated delivery, the blues remains a language of dignity, even in heartbreak.
Bo Diddley follows, shaking things loose with “Heart-O-Matic Love” and “Rock & Roll,” his signature rhythm pulsing like an engine. Bo’s primal beat reminds us that sophistication and simplicity can share the same stage. Then John Lee Hooker’s “We Might As Well Call It Thru” strips it all back down—just Hooker, his voice, and that hypnotic stomp. The contrast between Fulson’s polish and Hooker’s rawness encapsulates the dual spirit of the blues: refined but never tamed.
As the night fades, André Williams’ “Put a Chain on It” delivers a sly, funky close to the vocal portion, bridging into modern groove without breaking continuity. Then, in a gesture of pure serenity, the set closes with Fleetwood Mac’s “Albatross.” The gentle guitar lines of Peter Green glide like calm water under moonlight—a perfect, wordless coda to a night of musical emotion. It’s as if all the stories, sorrows, and triumphs heard throughout the show have dissolved into pure sound.
Hour Five of this “no theme” broadcast ends where the blues always returns: to feeling. No gimmicks, no grand design—just music, perfectly sequenced to remind us that emotion is the only thread that ever really matters.
Hour 5 Playlist
SWEET & SLOW – MILLS BROS
THESE FOOLISH THINGS – LESTER YOUNG
WHY WAS I BORN – JOHNNY HARTMAN
AFTER HOURS – SARAH VAUGHAN
THIRTY THREE NINETY SIX – BRO JACK MCDUFF
DEDICATED TO YOU – ELLA & MILLS BROS
BIG BOY BLUES – ELLA & MILLS BROS
RECONSIDER BABY – LOWELL FULSON
I BELIEVE I’LL GIVE IT UP – LOWELL FULSON
ROCK ’EM DEAD – LOWELL FULSON
HEAD HUNG DOWN – LOWELL FULSON
HEART-O-MATIC LOVE – BO DIDDLEY
ROCK & ROLL – BO DIDDLEY
WE MIGHT AS WELL CALL IT THRU – JOHN LEE HOOKER
PUT A CHAIN ON IT – ANDRÉ WILLIAMS
ALBATROSS – FLEETWOOD MAC