Hour Four of the February 8, 2026 Blues Before Sunrise broadcast is where the night stops drifting and starts moving again. This is electric territory — sharp edges, hard truths, and music built to cut through smoke and noise. After the reflective calm of Hour Five, this hour jolts the listener back to attention with performances that crackle, grind, and refuse to fade politely into the background.

The hour kicks off with Sandy Nelson’s “Chick-A-Boom” and “Alexes,” two driving instrumentals that waste no time establishing momentum. Their relentless rhythm feels like a door being kicked open, clearing space for the heavy hitters that follow. Albert King steps in next, and everything tightens. “Killing Floor” and “If the Washing Don’t Get Ya’” showcase King’s commanding guitar tone and unshakable authority — blues that sound confident, dangerous, and fully in control.

Elmore James keeps the pressure on with “Lost Woman Blues” and “Held My Baby Last Night.” His slide guitar slices straight through the mix, raw and urgent, embodying the restless energy that defined postwar electric blues. These are not songs meant for background listening; they demand your full attention, and they get it.

Little Walter shifts the mood slightly, trading brute force for sly sophistication. “Can’t Stop Lovin’” and “Last Night” highlight his ability to make the harmonica sing, whisper, and shout all at once. Walter’s genius lies in his restraint — every note placed exactly where it needs to be, never more.

At the heart of the hour stands Robert Jr. Lockwood. His run of “Sweet Home Chicago,” “Stormy Monday,” and “Feel Alright Again” is a masterclass in economy and elegance. Lockwood doesn’t rush these performances; he lets the music breathe, proving that power doesn’t always come from volume. His guitar lines are clean and conversational, his vocals measured and confident. It’s blues played by someone who knows exactly who he is.

Tampa Red’s “She’s a Cool Operator” and “I Won’t Let Her Do It” extend the hour’s Chicago lineage, his smooth slide work offering contrast to the heavier tones heard earlier. Big Maceo’s “Texas Stomp” adds piano-driven muscle, reminding listeners that electricity didn’t replace the blues — it simply expanded it.

The hour closes with grit and grit alone. Dr. Clayton’s “Ain’t Gonna Drink No More” delivers humor and warning in equal measure, while Eddie King’s “Laundromat Blues” grounds the hour in everyday reality. Jerry McCain’s “Twist 62” sends the show into the next stretch with kinetic energy still buzzing, refusing to let the night cool off too quickly.

Hour Four is the sound of the blues standing upright — amplified, confident, and unapologetic. It honors tradition without being bound by it, channeling emotion through wires and speakers with purpose. This is music meant to be felt in the chest as much as heard in the ears.

Hour Four Playlist

CHICK-A-BOOM – Sandy Nelson

ALEXES – Sandy Nelson

KILLING FLOOR – Albert King

IF THE WASHING DON’T GET YA’ – Albert King

LOST WOMAN BLUES – Elmore James

HELD MY BABY LAST NIGHT – Elmore James

CAN’T STOP LOVIN’ – Little Walter

LAST NIGHT – Little Walter

SWEET HOME CHICAGO – Robert Jr. Lockwood

STORMY MONDAY – Robert Jr. Lockwood

FEEL ALRIGHT AGAIN – Robert Jr. Lockwood

SHE’S A COOL OPERATOR – Tampa Red

I WON’T LET HER DO IT – Tampa Red

TEXAS STOMP – Big Maceo

AIN’T GONNA DRINK NO MORE – Dr. Clayton

LAUNDROMAT BLUES – Eddie King

TWIST 62 – Jerry McCain