Hour One of this week’s Blues Before Sunrise opens with a lively blend of jump blues, swing, and jazz-inflected rhythm—setting an upbeat and engaging tone for the rest of the program. With no overarching theme guiding the show, this first hour acts as a wide-open doorway, inviting listeners into a rich mix of sounds that defined the transition from big band swing to early rhythm and blues.

Dusty Fletcher kicks things off with “The Last Clean Shirt,” a track full of personality and rhythmic punch. It’s a fitting introduction—loose, humorous, and grounded in the everyday storytelling that runs through the blues. From there, Louis Jordan takes command with a string of recordings including “Cock-A-Doodle-Doo,” “Fat Sam from Birmingham,” “There Must Be a Way,” and “I Love That Kind of Carrying On.” Jordan’s influence on jump blues and early R&B is unmistakable. His tight arrangements, witty lyrics, and infectious grooves bring both polish and energy, making this stretch one of the most dynamic openings of the night.

The mood shifts with Little Miss Cornshucks, whose performances—“Gonna Leave Here Walking,” “Have You Ever Loved Somebody,” “So Long,” and “For Old Time Sake”—slow the pace and introduce a more intimate, emotional feel. Her understated delivery and warm tone provide a contrast to Jordan’s exuberance, reminding listeners of the quieter side of the blues.

Hot Lips Page, backed by Shaw, brings the sound back toward swing with “Blues in the Night,” “Take Your Shoes Off Baby,” and “Motherless Child.” These tracks blend jazz phrasing with blues feeling, creating a smooth but expressive middle section of the hour. Gene Ammons follows with “Don’t Do Me Wrong,” “Seven Eleven,” and “Can Anyone Explain,” his saxophone leading the way with a rich, full tone that leans into the emerging R&B sound.

The Spirits of Rhythm contribute “Rhythm,” adding a lighter, almost playful vocal group texture, while Meade Lux Lewis’ “Six Wheel Chaser” brings in a strong boogie-woogie piano foundation—connecting the hour back to one of the blues’ most important instrumental traditions.

Paul Robeson’s “Climbing Up” provides a striking moment of depth and gravitas, his powerful voice cutting through with clarity and purpose. It’s a reminder of the broader cultural and emotional reach of this music. Wardell Gray closes the hour with “Dat’s It,” delivering a sax-driven performance that feels both modern and rooted, pointing toward the direction the music would continue to take.

Hour One succeeds by balancing energy and restraint, humor and emotion, structure and spontaneity. It captures a moment when blues, jazz, and rhythm and blues were intersecting in exciting ways, laying the groundwork for everything that follows across the remaining hours of the show.

Playlist – Hour One

The Last Clean Shirt – Dusty Fletcher
Cock-A-Doodle-Doo – Louis Jordan
Fat Sam from Birmingham – Louis Jordan
There Must Be a Way – Louis Jordan
I Love That Kind of Carrying On – Louis Jordan
Gonna Leave Here Walking – Little Miss Cornshucks
Have You Ever Loved Somebody – Little Miss Cornshucks
So Long – Little Miss Cornshucks
For Old Time Sake – Little Miss Cornshucks
Blues in the Night – Hot Lips Page/Shaw
Take Your Shoes Off Baby – Hot Lips Page/Shaw
Motherless Child – Hot Lips Page/Shaw
Don’t Do Me Wrong – Gene Ammons
Seven Eleven – Gene Ammons
Can Anyone Explain – Gene Ammons
Rhythm – Spirits of Rhythm
Six Wheel Chaser – Meade Lux Lewis
Climbing Up – Paul Robeson
Dat’s It – Wardell Gray