Hour 4 brings Blues Before Sunrise into an electric-blues-centered stretch built from short artist groupings, direct contrasts, and a strong sense of forward movement. Magic Sam, Otis Rush, Jr Wells, Earl Hooker, Albert King, Johnny Littlejohn, Lee Jackson, Willie Mabon, Harold Burrage, Eddie C. Campbell, Freddy Robinson, and others appear in a sequence that favors variety without abandoning continuity. The hour is not framed as a single-artist feature, but its organization allows several performers to hold the floor for more than one selection.
Magic Sam sets the pace with “I Feel So Good” and “Looking Good.” Opening with back-to-back recordings gives the program an immediate focus. Otis Rush follows in the same manner with “Homework” and “My Love Will Never Die,” continuing the pattern of paired selections and keeping the early portion of the hour rooted in a compact exchange between artists. The shift to “Calling All Blues” by Jr Wells/Earl Hooker then broadens the billing before Jr Wells returns under his own name for “Two Headed Woman.” The placement creates a small but meaningful contrast between a joint credit and a solo credit.
Harold Burrage appears first with “She Knocks Me Out,” then comes back later for a three-song sequence. That recurring presence gives the hour one of its clearest internal threads. Before his return, Eddie C. Campbell’s “Let’s Pick It” leads into Albert King’s “Drowking on Dry Land” and “Wrapped Up in Love Again.” Albert King’s paired placement mirrors the earlier Magic Sam and Otis Rush passages. Instead of scattering these artists through the hour, the program lets each pair establish a brief, concentrated section.
Johnny Littlejohn’s “Shake Your Moneymaker” and Lee Jackson’s “Fishin’ in My Pond” follow Albert King, then Willie Mabon’s “Monday Woman” and Henry Gray’s “Look Out Mable” extend the middle of the hour. The playlist moves quickly through different names while retaining a clear blues identity. The variety comes from the programming structure itself: solo performers, a joint credit, recurring artists, and consecutive recordings by the same artist all have a place.
The strongest return belongs to Harold Burrage. After appearing near the start of the hour, he takes three consecutive selections: “You Ought to Love Me,” “A Foll,” and “I Was Wrong.” The earlier “She Knocks Me Out” makes this later run feel like a continuation rather than a sudden introduction. It also places Burrage at the center of the hour’s latter half, between Henry Gray and the closing sequence.
Joe Robert & Rockin’ Robins enters with “Romeo,” followed by Freddy Robinson’s “The Buzzard.” These final selections do not attempt to summarize the hour. They complete it with two additional names after the extended Burrage passage, preserving the show’s preference for movement and contrast. The result is an hour that feels assembled with attention to pacing: paired artists near the opening, a mid-hour set of individual stops, a Burrage return, and a concise closing turn.
Hour 4’s strength lies in its concentration. The program allows familiar figures such as Magic Sam, Otis Rush, Jr Wells, Albert King, and Johnny Littlejohn to stand beside Harold Burrage, Lee Jackson, Henry Gray, Joe Robert & Rockin’ Robins, and Freddy Robinson. No larger claims are needed. The playlist itself provides the shape, and the sequence keeps the electric blues in motion from one recording to the next.
### Playlist
I Feel So Good — Magic Sam
Looking Good — Magic Sam
Homework — Otis Rush
My Love Will Never Die — Otis Rush
Calling All Blues — Jr Wells/Earl Hooker
Two Headed Woman — Jr Wells
She Knocks Me Out — Harold Burrage
Let’s Pick It — Eddie C. Campbell
Drowking on Dry Land — Albert King
Wrapped Up in Love Again — Albert King
Shake Your Moneymaker — Johnny Littlejohn
Fishin’ in My Pond — Lee Jackson
Monday Woman — Willie Mabon
Look Out Mable — Henry Gray
You Ought to Love Me — Harold Burrage
A Foll — Harold Burrage
I Was Wrong — Harold Burrage
Romeo — Joe Robert & Rockin’ Robins
The Buzzard — Freddy Robinson