Hour 5 slides in with a mix of urbane jazz cool, Gulf Coast grit, and down-home Southern sting — a late-night blend that connects post-war R&B smoothness with the bayou-drenched bite of Excello blues. We open in elegant fashion with harmony specialists The Ravens, followed by the bebop-tinged sophistication of Charlie Parker on “Repetition,” reminding listeners that BBS always starts its final stretch with a touch of class before rolling its sleeves up.

From there the hour pivots into the deep Louisiana groove: Lightning Slim, Arthur Gunter, Silas Hogan, Early Dranes, Lazy Lester, Lonesome Sundown, and Slim Harpo form a powerful Excello parade — hypnotic rhythms, languid tempos, and that unmistakable swampy pulse. It’s music that never hurries yet always hits.

Sprinkled throughout are gems from Billy Eckstine, Toni Harper, and Jimmy Smith, keeping the hour flexible and unpredictable — uptown one moment, juke-joint dusty the next. The set closes with the drifting, meditative beauty of Fleetwood Mac’s “Albatross,” a perfect cool-down after an hour of low-boil blues intensity.

This is one of those signature BBS hours where the grooves simmer more than they shout — and that slow burn is exactly what makes it unforgettable.

Hour 5 Playlist

HOW COULD I KNOW — RAVENS

REPETITION — CHARLIE PARKER

YOU’RE DRIVING ME CRAZY — BILLY ECKSTINE

YOU & THE NIGHT & THE MUSIC — TONI HARPER

THE PREACHER — JIMMY SMITH

I’M WARNIN’ YOU BABY — LIGHTNING SLIM

YOU’RE ALWAYS ON MY MIND — ARTHUR GUNTER

GO ON PRETTY BABY — SILAS HOGAN

I’M LEAVING THIS MORNING — EARLY DRANES

I HEAR YOU KNOCKIN’ — LAZY LESTER

DON’T SAY A WORD — LONESOME SUNDOWN

IT’S LOVE BABY — LOUIS BROOKS

LITTLE DARLIN’ — GLADIOLAS

MY MUMBLIN’ BABY — RUDY GREEN

BLUES HANGOVER — SLIM HARPO

ALBATROSS — FLEETWOOD MAC