Hour Four of this week’s Blues Before Sunrise acts as a bridge between eras, carrying the listener from the tail end of traditional blues into the electrified energy that would help give birth to rock and roll. After the Roosevelt Sykes spotlight in Hour Three, this set expands outward, showing how the blues evolved when amplified, urbanized, and pushed into new rhythmic territory.

The hour opens with Eddie Taylor’s “You’ll Always Have a Home,” a track grounded in the Chicago blues tradition. His guitar work is steady and supportive, setting a tone that feels both rooted and forward-looking. Homer Harris follows with “Cut Your Head Blues,” keeping that raw edge intact, while Muddy Waters’ “Sittin’ Here Drinkin’” brings a familiar authority. Waters’ presence alone signals the shift into a more modern blues sound—electric, confident, and deeply influential.

St. Louis Jimmy’s “Sittin’ & Thinkin’” slows the pace slightly, leaning into introspection, before Little Willie Foster’s “Fallin’ Rain Blues” adds a moody, atmospheric feel. These tracks maintain a connection to earlier blues traditions while embracing the fuller sound made possible by amplification.

Tarheel Slim takes center stage for a stretch with “Wildcat Tamer,” “My Flight,” “Too Much Competition,” and “Lock Me in Your Heart.” His recordings bring a lighter, more rhythmic approach, blending blues structure with early R&B sensibilities. There’s a looseness here that reflects the changing musical landscape of the late 1940s and early ’50s.

Novelty and rhythm collide with “Hambone” by Little Booker and “The Hambone” by The School Kids. These tracks inject a playful, percussive element into the hour, showing how rhythm itself could become the focal point. It’s a reminder that blues and R&B were never confined to one mood—they could be serious, but also fun and experimental.

Pee Wee Crayton’s “Texas Hop” returns the focus to guitar-driven blues, his style clean and precise, bridging the gap between swing and modern electric blues. Gatemouth Brown’s “That’s Your Daddy Yaddy-Yo” follows with a lively, genre-blending approach, combining blues, jazz, and a touch of humor.

Connie Mack Booker and Clarence Garlow continue the momentum, keeping the rhythm strong and the energy consistent. By this point, the hour is clearly moving toward something bigger—something louder and more rhythmically driven.

That evolution becomes unmistakable with Jackie Brenston’s “Rocket 88.” Often cited as one of the first rock and roll records, it captures the moment when blues structure met a driving backbeat and a new attitude. Backed by Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm, the track feels like a turning point—not just within the hour, but in the history of American music.

The Kings of Rhythm return with “Whole Heap of Mama” and “Rock a Bucket,” reinforcing that emerging sound. These tracks carry a raw, energetic feel that pushes beyond traditional blues, pointing directly toward the future.

Long-Man Binder’s “You Got Me Way Down Here” grounds the hour once more, bringing it back to a more traditional blues perspective before the set concludes.

Hour Four is about movement—musically and historically. It shows how the blues didn’t stay still, how it adapted and evolved, giving rise to new forms while still holding onto its core identity. From Chicago blues to the birth of rock and roll, this hour captures a moment of transformation that continues to shape music today.

Playlist – Hour Four

You’ll Always Have a Home – Eddie Taylor

Cut Your Head Blues – Homer Harris

Sittin’ Here Drinkin’ – Muddy Waters

Sittin’ & Thinkin’ – St. Louis Jimmy

Fallin’ Rain Blues – Little Willie Foster

Wildcat Tamer – Tarheel Slim

My Flight – Tarheel Slim

Too Much Competition – Tarheel Slim

Lock Me in Your Heart – Tarheel Slim

Hambone – Little Booker

The Hambone – The School Kids

Texas Hop – Pee Wee Crayton

That’s Your Daddy Yaddy-Yo – Gatemouth Brown

Love Me Pretty Baby – Connie Mack Booker

Crawfishin’ – Clarence Garlow

Rocket 88 – Jackie Brenston

Whole Heap of Mama – Kings of Rhythm

You Got Me Way Down Here – Long-Man Binder

Rock a Bucket – Kings of Rhythm