Hour Three of this week’s Blues Before Sunrise takes a decisive step back in time, digging deep into the prewar era where the blues was still raw, regional, and largely unfiltered. This is the foundation—the bedrock upon which everything heard earlier in the program is built. Stripped of polish and studio refinement, these recordings carry a directness and emotional honesty that remain unmatched.
The hour opens with the powerful duo of Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy. Tracks like “Today Today Blues” and “You Know You Done Me Wrong” showcase Minnie’s sharp guitar work and commanding vocal presence. She wasn’t just one of the great female blues artists—she was one of the great blues artists, period. “Hard Time Blues” continues that thread, blending technical skill with deeply personal storytelling.
From there, the spotlight shifts to Peetie Wheatstraw, whose “Doin’ the Best I Can” and “Rising Sun Blues” highlight his distinctive vocal style and mythic persona as the “Devil’s Son-in-Law.” His recordings carry a haunting quality, equal parts humor and darkness.
Kokomo Arnold follows with “Backfence Pickett Blues” and “Wild Water Blues,” bringing a fast-paced, intricate guitar style that would later influence artists like Robert Johnson. Arnold’s playing is sharp and driving, pushing the rhythm forward in a way that feels ahead of its time.
The hour continues to highlight the importance of female blues voices with Monette Moore and her “Sugar Blues,” as well as Lucille Hegamin on “Beale Street Mama.” These performances carry a theatrical quality rooted in vaudeville and early blues traditions, where storytelling and personality were just as important as musical technique.
Eva Taylor adds a smoother vocal touch with “Nobody But My Baby,” offering a contrast to the more rugged performances surrounding it. Meanwhile, artists like Walter Roland and Lee Green bring the focus back to rural and urban blues hybrids—piano-driven and rhythmically grounded.
A particularly striking moment comes with the recordings by the Two Poor Boys. Their tracks “Two White Horses in a Line” and “Down in Black Bottom” capture the essence of early blues duos—minimal instrumentation, maximum feeling. There’s a looseness here that feels completely natural, as if the music is unfolding in real time.
Lewis Black adds another layer with “Spanish Blues,” blending stylistic influences and showcasing how diverse early blues could be, even within a relatively small recording window.
The hour closes with two powerful performances: “Whiskey Head Man” by Tommy McClennan and “Evil But Kindhearted” by Brownie McGhee. McClennan’s raw, driving style contrasts beautifully with McGhee’s smoother, more melodic approach, effectively summarizing the range of expression found within the blues tradition.
Hour Three doesn’t just revisit the past—it explains the present. Every electric riff, every Chicago groove, every jazz-inflected vocal heard elsewhere in the program can be traced back to recordings like these. This is where the blues speaks most plainly, without amplification or embellishment.
It’s not always pretty. It’s not always polished. But it’s real—and that’s exactly the point.
Playlist – Hour Three
Today Today Blues – Memphis Minnie & Kansas Joe
You Know You Done Me Wrong – Memphis Minnie & Kansas Joe
Hard Time Blues – Memphis Minnie & Kansas Joe
Doin’ the Best I Can – Peetie Wheatstraw
Rising Sun Blues – Peetie Wheatstraw
Backfence Pickett Blues – Kokomo Arnold
Wild Water Blues – Kokomo Arnold
Sugar Blues – Monette Moore
Beale Street Mama – Lucille Hegamin
Nobody But My Baby – Eva Taylor
Lonesome Monday Morning Blues – Bluetta Mooney
House Lady Blues – Walter Roland
Down in Death Alley Blues – Lee Green
Two White Horses in a Line – Two Poor Boys
Down in Black Bottom – Two Poor Boys
Spanish Blues – Lewis Black
Whiskey Head Man – Tommy McClennan
Evil But Kindhearted – Brownie McGhee