The third hour of this week’s Blues Before Sunrise reaches deep into the prewar and early postwar blues tradition, bringing together a remarkable collection of recordings from artists whose music helped establish the language of the blues. There are no gimmicks here, just one compelling performance after another from musicians who understood how much could be said with a guitar, a piano, a harmonica, or simply a powerful voice.

The hour begins with Sonny Boy Williamson I and “Mattie Mae,” followed by Tampa Red’s “Crying Won’t Help You.” These recordings immediately establish the mood: personal troubles, complicated relationships, and the familiar realization that sometimes there is no easy solution to either one. That combination of humor, resignation, and emotional honesty has always been at the heart of the blues.

Lil Green follows with “99 Blues,” bringing her distinctive vocal style to the program. Green’s recordings demonstrate the important role women played in the development of blues and rhythm & blues, particularly during the 1930s and 1940s. Her performances could be intimate and conversational while still carrying the weight of the blues tradition.

Washboard Sam’s “31 Drunkard” keeps the subject matter firmly in blues territory before Walter Davis contributes “Your Time Is Coming.” Davis was one of the important pianists and singers of the prewar blues era, and his recordings demonstrate the central role piano blues played alongside the better-known guitar traditions.

Casey Bill Weldon’s “Midnight Blues” takes the program into another corner of the prewar blues world. Weldon was one of the prominent slide guitarists of his generation, and his recordings helped demonstrate how the Hawaiian steel guitar influence could be incorporated into blues playing.

Leroy Carr follows with “Rocks in My Bed,” bringing the sophisticated piano-and-vocal approach that made him one of the most influential blues artists of the late 1920s and 1930s. Carr’s music often had an urbane quality, but beneath the polish remained the same emotional concerns that run through the entire blues tradition.

Big Bill Broonzy then offers “Good Liquor Gonna Carry Me Down.” Broonzy’s enormous recorded legacy makes him one of the essential figures in any exploration of American blues. His music could move effortlessly between country blues, urban blues, folk material, and popular styles, making him one of the great musical bridges between eras.

Jazz Gillum’s “You Are Doing Me Wrong” keeps the prewar atmosphere alive before Roosevelt Sykes arrives with “Devil’s Island Gin.” Sykes was one of the great blues pianists, combining boogie-woogie energy with a highly personal vocal style. His recordings frequently carried a mischievous edge, even when dealing with serious subjects.

The second half of the hour moves steadily toward the postwar Chicago sound. Big Maceo’s “Ramblin’ on My Mind” is a powerful example of the piano-driven blues that became central to Chicago’s musical identity. Memphis Minnie follows with “Monkey Faced Blues,” reminding listeners once again of her extraordinary versatility and importance. Minnie was not simply a blues singer who played guitar; she was a major instrumentalist and an influential recording artist whose career stretched across several generations of blues.

St. Louis Jimmy contributes “Doctor Doctor Blues,” followed by Memphis Minnie’s contemporary Robert Nighthawk with “Don’t Mistreat Your Woman.” Nighthawk’s slide guitar helped create one of the most haunting sounds in Chicago blues, and his work would influence generations of musicians who followed.

Tommy McClennan’s “Deep Blue Seas Blues” brings another rough-edged Mississippi voice into the mix, while Robert Jr. Lockwood contributes “Little Boy Blues.” Lockwood represents an important connection between the Delta tradition and the emerging electric Chicago sound, having learned directly from Robert Johnson before developing his own distinctive style.

The hour closes with Dr. Clayton’s “Ain’t No Business We Can Do” and Reverend J.M. Gates’ “Hitler or Hell.” Gates’ recording is particularly striking because it demonstrates how blues and gospel performers could respond directly to the major events and controversies of their time. The blues was never isolated from the world around it; musicians regularly turned current events into songs.

From Sonny Boy Williamson to Reverend Gates, this hour travels across decades and musical styles while maintaining a remarkably consistent emotional thread. Heartache, drinking, relationships, hard times, wandering, faith, and the changing world all find their way into these recordings. That is the enduring strength of the blues: the subjects may change, but the stories remain recognizable.

Playlist

MATTIE MAE — SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON I
CRYING WON’T HELP YOU — TAMPA RED
99 BLUES — LIL GREEN
31 DRUNKARD — WASHBOARD SAM
YOUR TIME IS COMING — WALTER DAVIS
MIDNIGHT BLUES — CASEY BILL WELDON
ROCKS IN MY BED — LEROY CARR
GOOD LIQUOR GONNA CARRY ME DOWN — BIG BILL BROONZY
YOU ARE DOING ME WRONG — JAZZ GILLUM
DEVIL’S ISLAND GIN — ROOSEVELT SYKES
RAMBLIN’ ON MY MIND — BIG MACEO
MONKEY FACED BLUES — ST. LOUIS JIMMY
DOCTOR DOCTOR BLUES — MEMPHIS MINNIE
DON’T MISTREAT YOUR WOMAN — ROBERT NIGHTHAWK
DEEP BLUE SEAS BLUES — TOMMY McCLENNEN
LITTLE BOY BLUES — ROBERT JR. LOCKWOOD
AIN’T NO BUSINESS WE CAN DO — DR. CLAYTON
HITLER OR HELL — REV. J.M. GATES