The August 24, 2025 broadcast of Blues Before Sunrise opens with a stylish first hour that sets the stage for the evening. Rather than starting with raw Delta grit, this set leans into the intersection of blues, jazz, and sophisticated vocal styles — the sound of nightclubs, polished orchestras, and elegant arrangements.
The hour begins with Jimmy Witherspoon’s “Mean Old Frisco.” Witherspoon was one of the great blues shouters, capable of bringing both raw intensity and smooth phrasing, and this track immediately grounds the set in the blues tradition.
From there, the spotlight shifts to a series of collaborations between Billy Eckstine and Count Basie. Songs like “Little Mama,” “Driftin’,” “Blues the Mother of Sin,” and “Stormy Monday Blues” blend Basie’s big band power with Eckstine’s rich, velvety baritone. The pairing reminds listeners how seamlessly the blues and jazz worlds could cross-pollinate, creating timeless recordings that lived comfortably in both idioms.
The hour then turns to the elegant stylings of Lurlean Hunter, one of Chicago’s most underrated vocalists. Tracks like “Alone Together,” “On Green Dolphin Street,” “It’s You or No One,” and “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To” highlight Hunter’s phrasing and poise. Her work bridged traditional jazz standards and blues-inflected interpretations, embodying the cosmopolitan sound of mid-century Chicago clubs.
Instrumental color follows with the work of Morris Lane, a saxophonist whose tracks “Turn Table,” “Moon Ray,” “Poinciana,” and “Midnight Sun” bring a warm, late-night mood. Lane’s blend of swing-era sophistication and blues roots helped him stand out as a versatile arranger and bandleader.
Vocal harmony makes its first entrance with the Four Vagabonds’ “There Are Such Things.” The Vagabonds were one of the most celebrated vocal quartets of the 1940s, admired for their smooth harmonies and impeccable phrasing, connecting gospel roots to the emerging pop tradition.
Then comes a true piano masterclass: Albert Ammons’ “Untitled Ammons Original.” Ammons, one of the giants of boogie-woogie, brings raw drive and instrumental fireworks that stand in contrast to the smoother numbers before it. His playing underscores how deeply the blues informed jazz piano.
From there, the program touches on more obscure but fascinating material — Miller & Lyle’s “The Three Halves” and Buddy Cole’s “The Moon Was Yellow.” Both reflect the experimental side of the swing-to-modern transition, where the blues continued to surface in unexpected ways.
This opening hour is less about down-home grit and more about how blues evolved within urban sophistication, big band swing, and vocal jazz traditions. It reminds listeners that the blues wasn’t just the sound of the Delta or the juke joint; it was also deeply present in the polished music of clubs, theaters, and radio broadcasts.
Hour 1 Playlist – Jazz-Infused Blues and Classic Voices
- Mean Old Frisco – Jimmy Witherspoon
- Little Mama – Billy Eckstine / Count Basie
- Driftin’ – Billy Eckstine / Count Basie
- Blues the Mother of Sin – Billy Eckstine / Count Basie
- Stormy Monday Blues – Billy Eckstine / Count Basie
- Alone Together – Lurlean Hunter
- On Green Dolphin Street – Lurlean Hunter
- It’s You or No One – Lurlean Hunter
- You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To – Lurlean Hunter
- Turn Table – Morris Lane
- Moon Ray – Morris Lane
- Poinciana – Morris Lane
- Midnight Sun – Morris Lane
- There Are Such Things – Four Vagabonds
- Untitled Ammons Original – Albert Ammons
- The Three Halves – Miller & Lyle
- The Moon Was Yellow – Buddy Cole