Hour 2 brings R&B, blues, piano blues, and spiritual recordings into a single, well-paced sequence. Nappy Brown’s “Down in the Alley” opens the hour, and Ray Charles quickly becomes its central figure through a six-record run that shows the program’s interest in letting a major artist occupy real space rather than appear for only one title.
Charles is heard on “Hit the Road Jack,” “Unchain My Heart,” “Crying Time,” “You Don’t Know Me,” “Chattanooga-Choo-Choo,” and “Blue Moon of Kentucky.” The sequence moves across a range of song titles and gives the hour a clear center of gravity. It also creates a strong contrast with the material that follows. Once the Ray Charles set concludes, the program shifts to Grant Jones’ “Crying Good Morning Blues” and “Won’t Have to Cry No More,” maintaining a singer-led focus while changing the voice and pacing.
Faye Adams’ “The Hammer” follows, then Eddie Chamblee’s “Back Street.” Leroy Carr receives two consecutive selections, “Take a Walk Around the Corner” and “Midnight Hour Blues.” That pairing gives the hour another moment of sustained attention, much as the earlier Ray Charles sequence did. St. Louis Jimmy’s “Monkey Face Woman” and Georgia White’s “Grandpa & Grandma” continue the blues portion of the hour before the programming turns toward spiritual material.
Alphabetical Four’s “Book of the Seven Seals” begins the closing run. Rev. J.M. Gates follows with “Devil in the Flying Machine,” then Golden Stars bring “Tell the Angels.” Golden West Singers appear with “Jesus Is Everything,” and Flowers of Joy close the hour with “All at My Appointed Time.” This final group of recordings does not function as an interruption. It gives the hour a clear concluding direction and acknowledges the close relationship that blues and spiritual programming can hold within the larger Blues Before Sunrise format.
The hour is especially effective because it does not force its artists into false equivalence. Ray Charles occupies the longest section, while Nappy Brown, Grant Jones, Faye Adams, Eddie Chamblee, Leroy Carr, St. Louis Jimmy, and Georgia White each create smaller but distinct points of attention. The spiritual material at the end has its own identity, supported by a complete run of named groups and performers rather than a single token selection.
There is also a useful balance between songs that appear in pairs and those that stand alone. Grant Jones has two consecutive titles, Leroy Carr has two consecutive titles, and Ray Charles has six. Those clusters give the hour shape. The individual entries around them prevent the structure from feeling predictable. The hour keeps changing singers, groups, and approaches, but the changes come in measured blocks.
The transition from Georgia White to Alphabetical Four is particularly important to the hour’s design. It opens a final passage that stays with spiritual music through the close, allowing the set to finish on its own terms. The titles are not asked to explain more than the source provides; their value here lies in the way they mark a carefully assembled closing segment.
By the end, Hour 2 has covered a substantial range of material without losing focus. R&B provides its central current, blues remains present through the middle, and the final spiritual selections give the hour a different kind of resolution. It is a disciplined sequence with room for star turns, lesser-heard names, and a closing group of recordings that changes the program’s direction at exactly the right moment.
Hour 2 Playlist
Down in the Alley — Nappy Brown
Hit the Road Jack — Ray Charles
Unchain My Heart — Ray Charles
Crying Time — Ray Charles
You Don’t Know Me — Ray Charles
Chattanooga-Choo-Choo — Ray Charles
Blue Moon of Kentucky — Ray Charles
Crying Good Morning Blues — Grant Jones
Won’t Have to Cry No More — Grant Jones
The Hammer — Faye Adams
Back Street — Eddie Chamblee
Take a Walk Around the Corner — Leroy Carr
Midnight Hour Blues — Leroy Carr
Monkey Face Woman — St Louis Jimmy
Grandpa & Grandma — Georgia White
Book of the Seven Seals — Alphabetical Four
Devil in the Flying Machine — Rev J.M. Gates
Tell the Angels — Golden Stars
Jesus Is Everything — Golden West Singers
All at My Appointed Time — Flowers of Joy