Hour 2 of Blues Before Sunrise moves through a wide field of blues and rhythm and blues recordings before ending with a dedicated gospel sequence. The playlist is built from individual turns by Amos Milburn, Roy Milton, Paul Gayten, Billy Wright, Ruth Brown, Pigmeat Markham, Ann Cole, Linda Hayes, Little WillieJohn, Roosevelt Sykes, Clara Smith, Sara Martin, the Dixie Hummingbirds, Rev. J.C. Burnett, Norfleet Bros, and the Caravans. That range gives the hour a broad cast, but the order supplies a clear shape: lively early selections, a blues-centered middle, and a sacred finish.

Amos Milburn opens with “House Party Tonight,” followed by Roy Milton’s “Numbers Blues” and Paul Gayten’s “Creole Gal.” The first three titles establish a brisk entrance through a succession of well-defined artist changes. Billy Wright’s “Turn the Lamp Down Low” follows, then Ruth Brown’s “Mamabo Baby” adds another change of voice. Rather than holding any one performer for several records, the early hour introduces artists one at a time, building momentum through contrast.

Pigmeat Markham’s “The Third Degree” arrives next, followed by Ann Cole’s “Got My Mojo Workin’” and Linda Hayes’ “Please Have Mercy.” Little WillieJohn’s “My Love Is Everything” and Roosevelt Sykes’ “Dog in Man” continue the sequence. The programming moves among singers and performers with no unnecessary interruption, preserving the varied character set by the opening records. It is an hour of individual entries, each title making room for the next artist rather than creating a single extended feature.

Clara Smith then receives two consecutive selections: “When I Step Out” and “Nobody How I Feel This Morning.” This is the first substantial artist grouping of the hour. The pairing changes the pace by allowing one voice to remain in focus after the earlier rapid movement between performers. Sara Martin follows with “Eagle Rock Me Papa” and “What Kind of Man Is You,” creating a second two-record section. Placing Clara Smith and Sara Martin in sequence gives the center of the hour a more settled shape, with two artists each receiving space for a pair of recordings.

The final five selections make the hour’s transition unmistakable. The Dixie Hummingbirds’ “Jesus I Love You” is followed by “It’s Your Time Now” from Rev. J.C. Burnett, “Jesus Is All the World to Me” by Norfleet Bros, and “Mary Don’t You Weep” by the Caravans. The show moves from the earlier blues and rhythm and blues material into gospel without disguising the change. The different sequence works because it is deliberate: the sacred material is grouped at the close rather than scattered through the hour.

This closing section also connects Hour 2 with the program’s larger design. Hour 1 includes three religious selections by Little Richard, and Hour 3’s Georgia Tom Dorsey feature concludes with two religious sides credited to Thomas A. Dorsey. Hour 2 therefore sits between two other moments where sacred material appears, but it has its own direct gospel passage rather than functioning as a preview or an echo.

The result is an hour shaped by contrast and placement. Amos Milburn, Roy Milton, Paul Gayten, Billy Wright, Ruth Brown, and the following blues and rhythm and blues artists give the first portion constant motion. Clara Smith and Sara Martin offer the central pairings. The Dixie Hummingbirds, Rev. J.C. Burnett, Norfleet Bros, and the Caravans close the set with a unified sacred direction. Blues Before Sunrise lets the sequence make its case, using the order of the records to connect otherwise distinct voices.

### Playlist

House Party Tonight — Amos Milburn

Numbers Blues — Roy Milton

Creole Gal — Paul Gayten

Turn the Lamp Down Low — Billy Wright

Mamabo Baby — Ruth Brown

The Third Degree — Pigmeat Markham

Got My Mojo Workin’ — Ann Cole

Please Have Mercy — Linda Hayes

My Love Is Everything — Little WillieJohn

Dog in Man — Roosevelt Sykes

When I Step Out — Clara Smith

Nobody How I Feel This Morning — Clara Smith

Eagle Rock Me Papa — Sara Martin

What Kind of Man Is You — Sara Martin

Jesus I Love You — Dixie Hummingbirds

It’s Your Time Now — Rev. J.C. Burnett

Jesus Is All the World to Me — Norfleet Bros

Mary Don’t You Weep — Caravans