Hour Two of the February 8, 2026 Blues Before Sunrise broadcast lives squarely in the space between release and redemption. This is an hour where humor, heartbreak, and holiness share the same room, where the blues doesn’t apologize for laughing one minute and praying the next. It’s a stretch of radio that feels deeply human, reflecting the way life itself refuses to stay in one emotional lane.

JoJo Adams opens the hour with “Call My Baby,” his vocal full of easy confidence and warmth. Big Maybelle follows with “That’s a Pretty Good Love,” delivering the kind of power only she could muster — bold, joyful, and unapologetically present. Crown Prince Waterford’s “Girl Friend Blues” keeps things intimate and conversational, while Little Willie Littlefield’s “Jim Wilson’s Boogie” injects pure kinetic energy, reminding us how closely boogie-woogie and early rhythm & blues were intertwined.

Ivory Joe Hunter’s “Where Shall I Go” brings the mood inward, his voice soft and searching, perfectly suited to the reflective side of the blues. Dave Bartholomew’s “Jump Children” shifts the atmosphere again, full of New Orleans swagger and rhythmic authority. Archibald’s two-part “Stack-O-Lee” follows, turning folklore into high drama, his pounding piano and emphatic delivery making the story feel urgent and alive.

Blanche Thomas’ “You Ain’t So Such-A-Much” adds sharp wit, cutting through bravado with humor and perspective. Gatemouth Moore’s “Highway 61 Blues” grounds the hour geographically and emotionally, evoking movement, escape, and the long road north. Charlie Spand’s “Dreamin’ the Blues” keeps the narrative rolling, his piano lines understated but insistent.

Butterbeans & Susie then steal the spotlight with “’Tain’t What You Used to Have” and “Deal Yourself Another Hand.” Their vaudeville-inflected performances blend comedy and commentary, offering knowing smiles alongside hard-earned wisdom. These records remind us that laughter has always been one of the blues’ survival tools.

The hour’s final stretch leans into the sacred. Ethel Waters delivers “Stormy Weather” and “Love Is the Thing” with unmatched emotional gravity, her voice carrying both worldly experience and spiritual depth. Sister Sallie Sanders’ “Gotta Right to the Tree of Life” offers a declarative statement of faith, while the Southernaires’ “Beautiful Isle of Somewhere” brings harmony and calm. Mahalia Jackson’s “I Want to Rest” closes the hour in reverent fashion, her voice lifting the blues toward something eternal.

Hour Two works because it refuses to separate the secular from the sacred. Instead, it shows how the blues has always moved freely between juke joint and church pew, laughter and tears, Saturday night and Sunday morning. It’s an hour that doesn’t resolve contradictions — it embraces them.

Hour Two Playlist

CALL MY BABY – JoJo Adams

THAT’S A PRETTY GOOD LOVE – Big Maybelle

GIRL FRIEND BLUES – Crown Prince Waterford

JIM WILSON’S BOOGIE – Little Willie Littlefield

WHERE SHALL I GO – Ivory Joe Hunter

JUMP CHILDREN – Dave Bartholomew

STACK-O-LEE PTS I & II – Archibald

YOU AIN’T SO SUCH-A-MUCH – Blanche Thomas

HIGHWAY 61 BLUES – Gatemouth Moore

DREAMIN’ THE BLUES – Charlie Spand

’T AIN’T WHAT YOU USED TO HAVE – Butterbeans & Susie

DEAL YOURSELF ANOTHER HAND – Butterbeans & Susie

STORMY WEATHER – Ethel Waters

LOVE IS THE THING – Ethel Waters

GOTTA RIGHT TO THE TREE OF LIFE – Sister Sallie Sanders

BEAUTIFUL ISLE OF SOMEWHERE – Southernaires

I WANT TO REST – Mahalia Jackson