Hour Three of this week’s Blues Before Sunrise is a richly woven tapestry devoted to one of the most pioneering and versatile figures in 20th-century music: Lonnie Johnson. Though best remembered for his sophisticated guitar work and honeyed vocal delivery, this hour shines a light on his collaborative genius—pairing him with a remarkable array of partners, from jazz guitar virtuoso Eddie Lang to classic blues singers Clara Smith and Victoria Spivey, and even the spirited pianist and composer Spencer Williams. Each duet showcases a different facet of Johnson’s artistry and underscores how he helped bridge the worlds of jazz, blues, and popular song.

Lonnie Johnson’s career defies simple categorization. Emerging from New Orleans in the 1920s, he brought a level of technical fluency and harmonic sophistication to the blues guitar that had never been heard before. His collaborations with Eddie Lang—an Italian-American jazz guitarist recording under the pseudonym “Blind Willie Dunn” to disguise their interracial sessions—were revolutionary. Recordings like “Two-Tone Stomp,” “Have to Change Keys,” and “Deep Minor Rhythm Stomp” capture a dialogue between two master musicians who understood each other intuitively. These tracks are more than duets—they’re early jazz-blues conversations, blending blues emotion with the rhythmic drive and melodic improvisation that would define modern jazz guitar.

With Clara Smith, Lonnie reveals another side of his musical personality. On pieces like “You’re Gettin’ Old on Your Job,” “What Makes You Act Like That,” and “Don’t Wear It Out,” Johnson supports Smith’s bold, sassy vocal delivery with subtle, empathetic phrasing. Clara Smith was among the most recorded of the classic female blues singers, known for her earthy humor and stage presence. Their pairing highlights the shift from the vaudeville blues of the 1920s toward a more personal, story-driven style—one that Lonnie’s sophisticated accompaniment helped make possible.

Moving to Spencer Williams, the set becomes looser and more playful. Williams, best known as a songwriter (“Basin Street Blues,” “I Found a New Baby”), brought a lively energy to the sessions. Tracks like “The Monkey and the Baboon,” “It Feels So Good (Pts. I & II),” and “The Dirty Dozens” find Johnson cutting loose, engaging in witty back-and-forths and sly double-entendres. These sides bridge barrelhouse humor and street-corner storytelling with a jazz musician’s command of form—a rare combination that makes them endlessly fresh.

The duets with Victoria Spivey—“New Black Snake Blues (Pts. I & II)” and “Furniture Man Blues (Pts. I & II)”—are among the most compelling of the hour. Spivey, one of the most dynamic women in blues, shared with Lonnie both a musical sophistication and a sly, knowing humor. Their voices and guitars intertwine naturally; it’s a collaboration of equals. These recordings also hint at the enduring friendship between the two—decades later, Spivey would help bring Bob Dylan into the studio for his first recording session, a testament to her long influence.

Finally, Lonnie Johnson’s duets aren’t just historical curiosities—they are essential documents in the evolution of American music. His intricate single-string solos prefigured the electric guitar work of T-Bone Walker, Charlie Christian, and B.B. King. His understanding of harmony and melody expanded the expressive vocabulary of the blues, laying the groundwork for everything from rhythm and blues to modern jazz guitar.

Hour Three is not just a tribute to Lonnie Johnson—it’s a reminder that collaboration was at the heart of his artistry. Whether sharing the stage with a jazz virtuoso or a blues powerhouse, Johnson’s sound was always refined, emotionally direct, and unmistakably his own.

HOUR #3 PLAYLIST – OCTOBER 19, 2025

TWO-TONE STOMP – LONNIE JOHNSON & EDDIE LANG

HAVE TO CHANGE KEYS – LONNIE JOHNSON & EDDIE LANG

DEEP MINOR RHYTHM STOMP – LONNIE JOHNSON & EDDIE LANG

MIDNIGHT CALL – LONNIE JOHNSON & EDDIE LANG

YOU’RE GETTIN’ OLD ON YOUR JOB – LONNIE JOHNSON & CLARA SMITH

WHAT MAKES YOU ACT LIKE THAT – LONNIE JOHNSON & CLARA SMITH

YOU HAD TOO MUCH – LONNIE JOHNSON & CLARA SMITH

DON’T WEAR IT OUT – LONNIE JOHNSON & CLARA SMITH

THE MONKEY AND THE BABOON – LONNIE JOHNSON & SPENCER WILLIAMS

ONCE OR TWICE – LONNIE JOHNSON & SPENCER WILLIAMS

IT FEELS SO GOOD (PTS. I & II) – LONNIE JOHNSON & SPENCER WILLIAMS

NEW BLACK SNAKE BLUES (PTS. I & II) – LONNIE JOHNSON & VICTORIA SPIVEY

FURNITURE MAN BLUES (PTS. I & II) – LONNIE JOHNSON & VICTORIA SPIVEY

THE DIRTY DOZENS – LONNIE JOHNSON & SPENCER WILLIAMS