Hour Two of this week’s Blues Before Sunrise travels through a wide range of musical styles, connecting postwar rhythm and blues with classic blues traditions and powerful gospel performances. The result is a program that demonstrates the deep musical roots shared by many of America’s most enduring forms of popular music.
Ray Charles opens the hour with a trio of memorable performances. “I’m Movin’ On,” “Two Years of Torture,” and “Let the Good Times Roll” showcase the remarkable versatility that made Charles one of the most influential musicians of the twentieth century. Whether delivering heartfelt ballads or upbeat rhythm-and-blues numbers, he consistently brought emotional depth and musical sophistication to every recording.
Percy Mayfield follows with “Never Say Naw” and “Stand By.” Known as the “Poet of the Blues,” Mayfield specialized in thoughtful lyrics and smooth vocal performances. His recordings often explored heartbreak, resilience, and human relationships with unusual intelligence and sensitivity.
The hour continues with Annie Laurie’s “It Hurts to Be in Love” and “You Belong to Me,” both excellent examples of postwar rhythm and blues vocal artistry. Billy Wright’s “Afterwhile” and “Four Cold Cold Walls” highlight one of the most important transitional figures between blues, rhythm and blues, and the emerging sounds that would later influence rock and roll.
Instrumentalist Hal Singer contributes “Houndstooth” and “Indian Love Call,” demonstrating the saxophone-driven sound that energized dance halls across America during the late 1940s and early 1950s. These lively recordings capture the excitement and innovation that defined the era.
The program then reaches further back into blues history with Georgia Tom Dorsey’s “Eagle Ridin’ Papa.” Before becoming known as the Father of Gospel Music, Dorsey was an accomplished blues pianist and songwriter. His recording serves as a reminder of the close relationship between blues and gospel traditions.
Additional early blues performances include “How Can You Have the Blues” by Kansas City Kitty, “Sweetest Daddy in Town” by Ora Alexander, “Big Gorilla Man” by Gladys Bentley, and “Mama Stayed Out All Night Long” by Maggie Jones. These recordings reflect the diversity and creativity of blues music during the 1920s and 1930s, particularly the contributions of female performers whose work helped shape the genre.
The final portion of the hour turns toward gospel music. The Golden Gate Quartet delivers the spirited “Go Where I Send Thee,” while Elder Lightfoot Solomon Michaux contributes the memorable “No Female Angels in Heaven.” The Five Blind Boys of Mississippi perform the powerful “Something Within Me,” followed by the Gay Sisters’ “I’m a Soldier.”
Sister Rosetta Tharpe closes the gospel segment with “My Journey to the Sky.” Few artists did more to bridge sacred and secular music than Tharpe, whose guitar playing and vocal style influenced countless blues, rhythm-and-blues, and rock-and-roll performers.
Hour Two illustrates the natural connections between blues, rhythm and blues, and gospel music. Though each style developed its own identity, all three shared common roots, emotional honesty, and a powerful ability to connect with listeners. Together, these recordings form a rich and rewarding chapter in this week’s Blues Before Sunrise.
Playlist – Hour Two
I’m Movin’ On – Ray Charles
Two Years of Torture – Ray Charles
Let the Good Times Roll – Ray Charles
Never Say Naw – Percy Mayfield
Stand By – Percy Mayfield
It Hurts to Be in Love – Annie Laurie
You Belong to Me – Annie Laurie
Afterwhile – Billy Wright
Four Cold Cold Walls – Billy Wright
Houndstooth – Hal Singer
Indian Love Call – Hal Singer
Eagle Ridin’ Papa – Georgia Tom Dorsey
How Can You Have the Blues – Kansas City Kitty
Sweetest Daddy in Town – Ora Alexander
Big Gorilla Man – Gladys Bentley
Mama Stayed Out All Night Long – Maggie Jones
Go Where I Send Thee – Golden Gate Quartet
No Female Angels in Heaven – Elder Lightfoot Solomon Michaux
Something Within Me – Five Blind Boys of Mississippi
I’m a Soldier – Gay Sisters
My Journey to the Sky – Sister Rosetta Tharpe