The final hour of this week’s Blues Before Sunrise takes another turn down a less-traveled road, following the Soul Breakfast with music from the three-CD set originally issued on J.R. Fullbright’s Elko label. It is a collection that opens the door to a fascinating corner of blues, R&B and regional recording history, bringing together artists whose work deserves far more attention.

Among the names featured during the hour are J.D. Nicholson, Jimmy T-99 Nelson, Ray Agee and George Harmonica Smith, along with a host of other performers who contributed to the distinctive sound of the Elko catalog. For listeners who enjoy digging beyond the familiar names and standard blues compilations, this is exactly the kind of material that makes Blues Before Sunrise essential listening.

The Elko label’s recordings capture a period when independent labels played an important role in documenting blues and R&B artists who might otherwise have been overlooked. The music is rooted in the traditions of the blues but reflects the changing sounds of the postwar era, when electric instrumentation, small-band arrangements and rhythm & blues were reshaping the musical landscape.

J.D. Nicholson, Jimmy T-99 Nelson, Ray Agee and George Harmonica Smith each bring their own character to the collection, while the lesser-known sides provide plenty of opportunities for discovery. This is not simply a parade of established names; it is a chance to hear the breadth of talent represented in the Elko catalog and to appreciate the musicians and recordings that often remain outside the usual blues histories.

The hour also fits neatly with this week’s larger “Hits the Highway” theme. After spending Hours 3 and 4 traveling through songs with “Highway” in their titles, BBS takes a different kind of journey here — one through the history of an independent record label and the artists who passed through its catalog.

For collectors, the three-CD Elko set offers a substantial body of music to explore. For longtime Blues Before Sunrise listeners, it is another opportunity to hear recordings that might not turn up on more conventional blues programs. And for anyone discovering these artists for the first time, the hour provides a useful introduction to a rich and sometimes overlooked chapter of blues and R&B history.

This is the kind of digging that has always been at the heart of Blues Before Sunrise: finding the recordings, artists and labels that help tell the larger story of the blues.

Following the Soul Breakfast, Hour 5 heads into the Elko catalog. With J.D. Nicholson, Jimmy T-99 Nelson, Ray Agee, George Harmonica Smith and many others along for the ride, it is another deep dive into the music’s history — and another reason to stay with BBS all the way to the end.