If the earlier hours of the BBS Annual Halloween Show crept around the edges of the graveyard, Hour Three goes right inside the crypt. This is where the ghosts walk, the devils whisper, and the heart of the blues beats slow and haunted. Every record in this set comes from the early days of the tradition — when the supernatural wasn’t just metaphor, but a reflection of real fears, faith, and folklore in Black America between the World Wars.
The hour opens with “Dr. Watson & Mr. Holmes” by the Spirits of Rhythm — a sly, jazzy piece that turns the famous detective story into a musical parable. It’s witty and urbane, yet it eases the listener into a world where shadows have rhythm and even the cleverest investigator might stumble upon a ghost.
From there, the mood turns darker with Walter Page’s Blue Devils and their “Blue Devil Blues.” Recorded in 1929, this was one of the earliest pieces to use the “devil” as both symbol and subject. For the Kansas City crowd that birthed swing, the “blue devils” were those late-night demons of sorrow and temptation — and they’ve been haunting the blues ever since.
As the set unfolds, we meet the ghosts themselves. George Carter’s “Ghost Woman Blues” and Walter Davis’ “Blue Ghost Blues” are classic examples of the blues as exorcism — men haunted not just by spirits, but by memories of love gone wrong. Victoria Spivey’s “Haunted by the Blues” takes that a step further; her voice trembles between sensuality and fear, as if the blues itself were chasing her.
Memphis Minnie, never one to shy away from a good scare, offers her own “Haunted House,” turning a familiar Delta trope into a sharp-edged tale of danger and defiance. Likewise, Texas Alexander revisits “Blue Devil Blues” with his moaning, preacher-like delivery, giving the devil himself a sermon. Helen Gross’s “Haunted House Blues” and Charlie McFadden’s “Lonesome Ghost Blues” add a theatrical flair — blues that could easily soundtrack an early horror film.
The hour’s eerie depth continues with Sam Montgomery’s take on “Blue Devil Blues,” and Ollie Sheppard’s “Frankenstein Blues,” a playful yet chilling riff on the idea of building the perfect lover from broken parts. Decades before rock bands turned horror into novelty, these early blues singers were already exploring the fear of what man might create — and what he couldn’t control.
Then comes the hour’s spiritual center: the haunted, mournful voice of Lonnie Johnson. Few artists have expressed sorrow and sophistication like Johnson, and here he appears repeatedly — a fitting tribute for Halloween. His “Blue Ghost Blues,” “Lonesome Ghost Blues,” “Devil’s Got the Blues,” and “The Devil’s Woman” form a suite of supernatural despair. Johnson doesn’t sing about monsters; he is the haunted man, alone with his guitar and memories that won’t die. His polished phrasing and lyrical guitar work elevate these songs beyond novelty — they are confessions whispered into the dark.
By the time the set closes, it’s clear that Hour Three isn’t just spooky fun — it’s an exploration of how the blues gave voice to the unseen. Ghosts in these songs are memories, guilt, desire, and survival. The devil is both temptation and truth. And through it all, the singers remind us that the real haunting isn’t in the graveyard — it’s in the heart.
Hour 3 Playlist
DR. WATSON & MR HOLMES – Spirits of Rhythm
BLUE DEVIL BLUES – Walter Page’s Blue Devils
BLACK GHOST BLUES – Yas-Yas Girl
GHOST WOMAN BLUES – George Carter
BLUE GHOST BLUES – Walter Davis
HAUNTED BY THE BLUES – Victoria Spivey
HAUNTED HOUSE – Memphis Minnie
BLUE DEVIL BLUES – Texas Alexander
HAUNTED HOUSE BLUES – Helen Gross
LONESOME GHOST BLUES – Charlie McFadden
BLUE DEVIL BLUES – Sam Montgomery
FRANKENSTEIN BLUES – Ollie Sheppard
BLUE GHOST BLUES – Lonnie Johnson
LONESOME GHOST BLUES – Lonnie Johnson
DEVIL’S GOT THE BLUES – Lonnie Johnson
BLUE GHOST BLUES – Lonnie Johnson
THE DEVIL’S WOMAN – Lonnie Johnson