Hour One of this week’s Blues Before Sunrise kicks off with a vibrant collection of jump blues, swing, rhythm and blues, and vocal harmony recordings that capture the excitement and optimism of postwar American music. Featuring some of the biggest names of the 1940s alongside a few lesser-known gems, the hour offers a lively introduction to another five-hour journey through the roots of blues and jazz.
The program begins with Jo Jo Adams and “If I Feel Like This Tomorrow,” a recording that immediately establishes the playful spirit that runs throughout much of the hour. Adams was one of the colorful personalities of early rhythm and blues, known for combining humor, energy, and strong vocal performances.
The spotlight then turns to the incomparable Louis Jordan, whose influence on rhythm and blues, jump blues, and early rock and roll can hardly be overstated. A series of recordings including “Somebody Done Hoodooed the Hoodoo Man,” “You Run Your Mouth,” “Juneteenth Jamboree,” and “You’re My Meat” demonstrates why Jordan became one of the most successful Black entertainers of the 1940s. Backed by his Tympany Five, Jordan blended humor, storytelling, and infectious rhythms into a formula that influenced generations of musicians.
Buddy and Ella Johnson contribute a strong sequence of recordings that showcase one of rhythm and blues’ most successful family partnerships. Ella’s “Please Mr. Johnson” and “Without the One You Love” display her warm, expressive vocal style, while Buddy’s “Stop Pretending” and “You Won’t Let Me Go” highlight his skill as a songwriter, bandleader, and pianist. Together, their recordings helped bridge the gap between swing and the emerging rhythm-and-blues sound.
Trumpeter and vocalist Hot Lips Page follows with “Got an Uncle in Harlem,” “It Ain’t Like That,” “Big D Blues,” and “Small Fry.” Page was a versatile performer equally comfortable in jazz and blues settings, and these recordings demonstrate his ability to move effortlessly between the two worlds.
The Ink Spots provide a change of pace with “Oh Red,” offering the smooth vocal harmonies that made the group one of the most popular vocal ensembles of the era. Their influence can still be heard in countless vocal groups that followed.
Boogie-woogie piano master Albert Ammons arrives with “Baltimore Breakdown,” delivering the powerful rhythmic drive that helped make boogie-woogie one of the defining piano styles of the late 1930s and 1940s. Ammons’ playing remains a model of energy, precision, and excitement.
The hour also includes a rare appearance by pioneering entertainer Bert Williams with “Eve Cost Adam Just One Bone.” Williams was among the most important Black performers of the early twentieth century, and his recordings provide a valuable connection to an earlier era of American popular entertainment.
Closing the hour is Wild Bill Davis and “Without a Song.” Davis was one of the great organ innovators of jazz, helping establish the instrument as a major voice in modern music. His rich, sophisticated playing provides a fitting conclusion to an hour filled with rhythm, humor, and musical excellence.
From Louis Jordan’s jump blues classics to the vocal elegance of the Ink Spots and the boogie-woogie brilliance of Albert Ammons, Hour One offers a spirited celebration of the sounds that helped shape modern American music.
Playlist – Hour One
If I Feel Like This Tomorrow – Jo Jo Adams
Somebody Done Hoodooed the Hoodoo Man – Louis Jordan
You Run Your Mouth – Louis Jordan
Juneteenth Jamboree – Louis Jordan
You’re My Meat – Louis Jordan
Please Mr. Johnson – Ella Johnson
Stop Pretending – Buddy Johnson
Without the One You Love – Ella Johnson
You Won’t Let Me Go – Buddy Johnson
Got an Uncle in Harlem – Hot Lips Page
It Ain’t Like That – Hot Lips Page
Big D Blues – Hot Lips Page
Small Fry – Hot Lips Page
Oh Red – Ink Spots
Baltimore Breakdown – Albert Ammons
Eve Cost Adam Just One Bone – Bert Williams
Without a Song – Wild Bill Davis