Things get loud in Hour 4—gritty, groovy, and electrically charged. It’s post-war blues in all its rugged glory. We begin with Willie Mabon and the mighty B.B. King, who dominates the set with a series of punchy, guitar-forward tracks like “Whole Lotta Meat” and “Baby Look At You.” King’s phrasing, both vocally and on guitar, is pure sophistication—his vibrato alone tells stories.
Then we head deeper into electric blues territory with the raw urgency of Big Boy Crudup, a bridge between country blues and rock & roll. His version of “You Got to Reap What You Sow” offers a gritty echo of the Leroy Carr tune heard earlier.
Dr. Ross, Eddie Burns, and Henry Smith add further color, representing lesser-known voices of the electric blues era. Their music is rough, honest, and regionally specific, each one a sonic snapshot of blues outside the spotlight.
The Detroit Count brings a Motor City groove with “Parrot Lounge” and “Detroit Boogie,” infectious club-friendly instrumentals that would later fuel funk and R&B.
From there, it’s heavyweights: John Lee Hooker’s “Graveyard Blues” is hypnotic and raw, Elmore James screams slide guitar fire, and JR Parker shows why he remains one of the most versatile voices of the 1950s.
Playlist:
- SOMETIMES I WONDER – WILLIE MABON
- WHOLE LOTTA MEAT – B.B. KING
- I GOT PAPER ON YOU BABY – B.B. KING
- YOU’VE GOT MY HANDS TIED BABY – B.B. KING
- BABY LOOK AT YOU – B.B. KING
- WHO’S BEEN FOOLIN’ YOU – BIG BOY CRUDUP
- YOU GOT TO REAP WHAT YOU SOW – BIG BOY CRUDUP
- MEAN OLD SANTA FE – BIG BOY CRUDUP
- CHICAGO BREAKDOWN – DR. ROSS
- DECORATION DAY BLUES – EDDIE BURNS
- DOG ME BLUES – HENRY SMITH
- PARROT LOUNGE – DETROIT COUNT
- DETROIT BOOGIE – DETROIT COUNT
- GRAVEYARD BLUES – JOHN LEE HOOKER
- BLUES SERENADE – BABYFACE TURNER
- RAMBLIN’ ON MY MIND – BOYD GILMORE
- PLEASE FIND MY BABY – ELMORE JAMES
- LONE TOWN BLUES – JR BROOKS
- I WANNA RAMBLE – JR PARKER
- LOOK ON YONDER WALL – JR PARKER
- CRYIN’ FOR MY BABY – JR PARKER