Hour 3 of Blues Before Sunrise assembles one of the week’s most concentrated blues sequences, moving through a large roster of performers while maintaining a strong sense of purpose. The hour begins with Skip James, continues through paired performances by Henry Townsend, and then travels through a broad series of artists whose titles, names, and placement produce an extended portrait of blues programming built on variation rather than repetition.

Skip James sets the opening frame with “Cherry Ball” and “I’m So Glad.” Presenting two selections in succession gives the hour an immediate focal point. Instead of beginning with a single track and quickly changing course, the playlist gives James room to establish the first section. Henry Townsend receives a similar treatment with “Skip James Don’t Love That Woman” and “She Got a Mean Disposition.” The pairing of artists in two-track runs gives the first part of the hour a deliberate shape: listeners encounter sustained attention before the program begins widening its scope.

Bill Pearson’s “Good Stuff” and Sugar Underwood’s “Davis Street Blues” then move the hour forward through two distinct artist statements. Mamie Smith’s “Goin’ Crazy with the Blues” follows, and Leona Williams contributes “Got to Cool My Doggies Now.” The sequence makes no need for a single overarching subject beyond the material itself. Its strength comes from the way each title brings another performer into the hour without breaking the program’s blues-centered continuity.

Hocial Thomas appears with “Gambler’s Dream,” followed by Lavinia Turner’s “Watch Me Go” and Marilyn Davis’s “Climbing Mountain Blues.” These consecutive selections expand the range of voices represented in the hour. Lucille Bogan’s “Shave ’Em Dry” comes next, followed by Walter Roland’s “Red Cross Blues.” The artists change quickly, but the playlist remains cohesive because Blues Before Sunrise allows the sequence to unfold as an accumulating body of performances rather than attempting to force every recording into the same narrowly defined style.

The latter portion of the hour continues this progression with Bumble Bee Slim’s “Sail On Little Girl,” Blind Teddy Darby’s “Lawdy Lawdy Worried Blues,” Big Boy Teddy Edwards’s “Good Doin’ Daddy,” and Chain Gang’s “Let Your Hammer Ring.” Each record occupies a distinct position in the flow, and the final title gives the hour a firm closing point. The playlist’s order suggests an editorial preference for moving through a succession of blues artists while retaining enough contrast to keep the hour from becoming static.

What makes this hour especially effective is its balance between small artist spotlights and rapid movement. Skip James and Henry Townsend receive paired selections at the top, making their appearances feel intentional and spacious. After that, the program turns to a mostly one-song-per-artist structure. That transition gives the hour a clear internal progression: first, concentration; then, expansion. The result is not a simple roll call of blues performers, but a sequence that lets individual recordings arrive with their own weight.

The hour also serves a useful role in the full broadcast. Hour 1 makes room for vocalists, jazz-associated artists, and instrumental figures; Hour 2 combines rhythm-and-blues, blues, and gospel. Hour 3 brings the focus back to an extended blues run before the Chicago Blues Fest special in Hour 4. Its programming is therefore both complete on its own terms and important to the five-hour arc. It provides a deep well of artist-centered blues material that prepares listeners for the festival hour’s more event-specific focus.

Hour 3 Playlist

Cherry Ball — Skip James

I’m So Glad — Skip James

Skip James Don’t Love That Woman — Henry Townsend

She Got a Mean Disposition — Henry Townsend

Good Stuff — Bill Pearson

Davis Street Blues — Sugar Underwood

Goin’ Crazy with the Blues — Mamie Smith

Got to Cool My Doggies Now — Leona Williams

Gambler’s Dream — Hocial Thomas

Watch Me Go — Lavinia Turner

Climbing Mountain Blues — Marilyn Davis

Shave ’Em Dry — Lucille Bogan

Red Cross Blues — Walter Roland

Sail On Little Girl — Bumble Bee Slim

Lawdy Lawdy Worried Blues — Blind Teddy Darby

Good Doin’ Daddy — Big Boy Teddy Edwards

Let Your Hammer Ring — Chain Gang