Hour One of Blues Before Sunrise – Annual Christmas Program #1 sets the tone for the entire holiday broadcast. This is the front door to the season, thrown wide open with rhythm, humor, elegance, and just enough mischief to let you know this won’t be a polite Christmas. From the first record on, the message is clear: Christmas in the blues world is meant to be felt, danced to, laughed at, and sometimes questioned—but never ignored.

Big Joe Turner’s “Christmas Date” starts things off exactly right. It’s playful, swinging, and full of anticipation, immediately placing Christmas in a social setting rather than under a tree. Babs Gonzales’ “Bebop Santa” follows with beat-era wit and jazzy cool, reminding us that Santa kept up with the times—even in the 1940s. Titus Turner’s “Christmas Morning” and Lionel Hampton’s “Boogie Woogie Santa” keep the energy high, blending jump blues with irresistible rhythm.

Julia Lee’s “Christmas Spirits” adds a knowing wink, suggesting that holiday cheer might come in liquid form. From there, the mood shifts smoothly into elegance with the King Cole Trio’s “The Christmas Song” and Joe Williams’ tender “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” These performances don’t slow the show down—they deepen it, adding warmth and polish without losing soul.

Dinah Washington’s “Ole Santa” brings attitude and personality back into the mix, followed by Billy Eckstine’s “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve,” which extends the holiday feeling beyond December 25th and into late-night reflection. Nat King Cole’s “Little Christmas Tree” is gentle and understated, a quiet moment before the party resumes.

The Ravens’ harmonized “White Christmas” bridges pop sensibility and R&B vocal group tradition, setting the stage for Sugar Chile Robinson’s joyful “Christmas Boogie.” Bessie Smith’s “At the Christmas Ball” grounds the hour historically, reminding listeners that blues Christmas celebrations stretch back to the 1920s. Butterbeans & Susie’s “Papa Ain’t No Santa Claus” injects humor and realism, poking holes in holiday myths with a smile.

Ozzie Ware’s “Santa Bring My Man Back to Me” brings longing back into focus, before the Black Swan Quartet’s “Come All Ye Faithful” shifts the mood toward reverence. Lloyd Glenn’s “Sleigh Ride” keeps the instrumental momentum flowing, and the Jackson Trio’s “Jingle Bell Hop” sends the hour out on a high note—danceable, joyful, and unmistakably blues-inflected.

Hour One is about arrival. It welcomes listeners into a Christmas season shaped by community, personality, humor, and deep musical tradition. It lets you know right away that Blues Before Sunrise doesn’t do Christmas one way—it does it the blues way.

Playlist – Hour 1 (12/14/25)

CHRISTMAS DATE – Big Joe Turner

BEBOP SANTA – Babs Gonzales

CHRISTMAS MORNING – Titus Turner

BOOGIE WOOGIE SANTA – Lionel Hampton

CHRISTMAS SPIRITS – Julia Lee

THE CHRISTMAS SONG – King Cole Trio

HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS – Joe Williams

OLE SANTA – Dinah Washington

WHAT ARE YOU DOING NEW YEAR’S EVE – Billy Eckstine

LITTLE CHRISTMAS TREE – Nat King Cole

WHITE CHRISTMAS – Ravens

CHRISTMAS BOOGIE – Sugar Chile Robinson

AT THE CHRISTMAS BALL – Bessie Smith

PAPA AIN’T NO SANTA CLAUS – Butterbeans & Susie

SANTA BRING MY MAN BACK TO ME – Ozzie Ware

COME ALL YE FAITHFUL – Black Swan Quartet

SLEIGH RIDE – Lloyd Glenn

JINGLE BELL HOP – Jackson Trio