The second hour of this week’s Blues Before Sunrise captures the lively spirit of early R&B, the heat of jump blues, and the deep conviction of gospel. It’s a set that moves effortlessly from dance-floor shuffles to revival-tent anthems, drawing a vivid line between Saturday night’s party and Sunday morning’s salvation.
Little Esther opens with “Better Beware,” her youthful voice carrying a maturity and phrasing that defied her age. The track’s sly warnings come wrapped in a swinging rhythm that recalls the bustling West Coast R&B scene of the early 1950s. Billy Wright’s “Afterwhile” follows with a smooth, almost crooning delivery, leaning into the emotional pull of mid-tempo blues balladry.
Paul Gayten’s “Creole Gal” adds a New Orleans touch—playful, syncopated, and bursting with Crescent City flair—before Nappy Brown kicks the tempo up with “In the Mood,” an R&B stormer whose energy is as infectious today as it was in his heyday. His “My Love Is Everything” shows the other side of his artistry, with a more restrained, heartfelt vocal.
Little Willie John delivers back-to-back gems in “Sufferin’ With the Blues” and “Send Me Pretty Mama.” The first is a slow burner that lets his voice soar over a moody arrangement, while the second leans into an uptempo, almost pop-infused groove. Ivory Joe Hunter’s “Don’t Fall in Love With Me” maintains that smooth sophistication, but “Block & Tackle” pulls listeners back to the grit of danceable R&B.
The set takes a historical turn with Blythe & Burton’s “Ham Fatchet Blues, Pts. I & II,” a rollicking piano-driven number that recalls the rowdiest corners of the Chicago club scene. Buddy Burton’s “Ft Meat & Greens” and Jimmy Blythe’s “Climbing Up the Mountain” continue in the barrelhouse tradition, their spirited performances a reminder that blues piano could be both joyful and raw.
From there, the program transitions to the sacred. The Morris Brown Quartet’s “My Soul Couldn’t Rest” lifts the spirit, followed by the Consolers’ “Lord Help Me,” which blends gospel harmonies with blues sensibility. Rev. J.C. Burnett’s fervent preaching on “Journey to the Sky” with the Flying Clouds of Detroit offers pure revival energy. The hour closes with the Echoes of Zion’s “Evening Sun,” a serene and heartfelt benediction that brings the set full circle from celebration to reflection.
Hour 2 stands as a testament to the intertwined nature of secular and sacred Black music traditions. The energy of the jump blues numbers flows naturally into the fervor of gospel, illustrating how both forms share rhythmic drive, emotional depth, and a deep connection to lived experience.
Playlist – Hour 2
- Better Beware – Little Esther
- Afterwhile – Billy Wright
- Creole Gal – Paul Gayten
- Land That I Love – Nappy Brown
- In the Mood – Nappy Brown
- My Love Is Everything – Nappy Brown
- Sufferin’ With the Blues – Little Willie John
- Send Me Pretty Mama – Little Willie John
- Don’t Fall in Love With Me – Ivory Joe Hunter
- Block & Tackle – Ivory Joe Hunter
- Ham Fatchet Blues, Pts. I & II – Blythe & Burton
- Ft Meat & Greens – Buddy Burton
- Climbing Up the Mountain – Jimmy Blythe
- My Soul Couldn’t Rest – Morris Brown Quartet
- Lord Help Me – Consolers
- Journey to the Sky – Rev. J.C. Burnett / Flying Clouds of Detroit
- Evening Sun – Echoes of Zion