Hour Two of the February 15, 2026 edition of Blues Before Sunrise widens the lens. After the swing sophistication of Hour One, the program shifts into the postwar era, where rhythm & blues begins flexing its muscle, gospel speaks plainly, and regional styles start staking their claims. This hour feels like movement — geographically, spiritually, and emotionally.

It opens in New Orleans with Joe Liggins and “Goin’ Back to New Orleans.” The groove is immediate and inviting, built for dance floors but rooted in blues phrasing. That Crescent City undercurrent continues with the swagger of Wynonie Harris. “My Playful Baby’s Gone” and “Luscious Woman” carry Harris’ trademark bravado — playful on the surface, but always riding a tightly wound rhythm section. Harris didn’t just sing blues; he energized it.

The confidence rolls forward with Chuck Willis and “I Rule My House,” a sly declaration that balances humor and authority. Then comes the emotional pivot: “Tears of Joy” by Etta James. Her voice blends gospel training with R&B immediacy, making heartbreak and hope feel inseparable. It’s one of those performances that bridges secular and sacred without effort.

New Orleans returns through Fats Domino and “You Done Me Wrong.” Domino’s piano touch is unmistakable — rolling, buoyant, and warm even when the lyrics aren’t. “Move Me” by Little Caesar and “Easy Easy Baby” by Ann Cole continue the danceable pulse, keeping the rhythm section front and center.

Then the hour reaches back to earlier foundations. “No I Ain’t Got Nothing at All” by Pinetop Smith reminds listeners where boogie-woogie took root. The left hand drives, the right hand decorates — a blueprint for so much that followed. Lonnie Johnson’s “Steppin’ on the Blues” adds refined guitar work, while Tampa Red’s “Heck of a How Do You Do” blends polish with bite.

The inclusion of Ethel Waters with “Don’t Blame Me” and “Shadows on the Swanee” offers a sophisticated bridge between blues and the popular song tradition. Waters could inhabit both worlds seamlessly, elevating material without stripping it of emotional weight.

As the hour moves toward its final stretch, the spotlight turns to gospel. “Bells of Love” by the Middle Georgia Singing Convention introduces communal harmony — less about spotlight solos and more about shared expression. Rev. J.M. Gates’ “Pay Your Furniture Man” is vintage sermon-in-song, urgent and direct. And then the Sensational Nightingales and the Soul Stirrers close the hour with “Somewhere to Lay My Head” and “Lord I’ve Tried,” respectively.

That closing gospel pairing feels intentional. After an hour of love, loss, swagger, and survival, the spiritual dimension emerges not as a contradiction but as continuation. Blues and gospel have always been intertwined — two responses to the same human condition.

Hour Two stands as a crossroads: New Orleans rhythm, postwar R&B heat, classic blues craftsmanship, and sanctified testimony. It reminds us that the blues isn’t a single lane — it’s a network of roads, all leading somewhere meaningful.

Hour Two Playlist

Goin’ Back to New Orleans – Joe Liggins

My Playful Baby’s Gone – Wynonie Harris

Luscious Woman – Wynonie Harris

I Rule My House – Chuck Willis

Tears of Joy – Etta James

You Done Me Wrong – Fats Domino

Move Me – Little Caesar

Easy Easy Baby – Ann Cole

No I Ain’t Got Nothing at All – Pinetop Smith

Steppin’ on the Blues – Lonnie Johnson

Heck of a How Do You Do – Tampa Red

Don’t Blame Me – Ethel Waters

Shadows on the Swanee – Ethel Waters

Bells of Love – Middle Georgia Singing Convention

Pay Your Furniture Man – Rev. J.M. Gates

Somewhere to Lay My Head – Sensational Nightingales

Lord I’ve Tried – Soul Stirrers