Hour 2 of Blues Before Sunrise puts the spotlight on a bluesman whose music has finally received the kind of attention it deserves. This week, BBS features sides by Piney Brown, the recording name of Columbus Perry, following the release of an entire CD devoted to his work by Kokomo Mojo.

For listeners who have spent years digging through blues catalogs and obscure recordings, the release is significant. Rather than limiting Piney Brown to a track or two on a compilation, Kokomo Mojo has assembled a substantial collection of his sides, providing an opportunity to hear the breadth of his recorded work in one place. It is exactly the kind of archival release that can bring an overlooked artist back into focus.

Piney Brown’s music belongs to the vast territory of blues history populated by performers whose recordings never received the recognition enjoyed by the biggest names in the genre. These artists are an essential part of the story, however. Their records document the working blues musicians who kept the music alive in clubs, regional scenes and independent recording studios.

That makes this week’s BBS spotlight more than a celebration of a new CD. It is also an opportunity to reconsider how blues history is preserved. For every major artist whose catalog has been repeatedly reissued and anthologized, there are countless musicians whose work survives in scattered singles, obscure sessions and hard-to-find collections. Releases such as the Kokomo Mojo Piney Brown set help bring some of that music back into circulation.

Hour 2 gives listeners the chance to explore those recordings without having to hunt down individual sides themselves. The program presents Piney Brown’s work in the broader context of the blues tradition, allowing his recordings to stand on their own while also demonstrating why this kind of archival digging remains so important.

There is a particular appeal to hearing an artist like Brown on Blues Before Sunrise. The program has always made room for the lesser-known corners of blues history, and Piney Brown fits naturally into that tradition. His appearance this week is a reminder that the history of the blues is much larger than the familiar names that dominate standard playlists.

And with the highway theme still waiting in the hours ahead, Hour 2 provides a welcome change of direction: a concentrated look at one artist and a newly available collection of his work.

After years of waiting, Piney Brown finally has an entire CD devoted to his sides. Blues Before Sunrise takes the opportunity to give those recordings the attention they deserve.

Hour 2 is Piney Brown’s hour — Columbus Perry, the music preserved, rediscovered and finally brought back into the spotlight.