The opening hour of this week’s Blues Before Sunrise sets the stage with a lively blend of scat, jazz-inflected blues, and vocal group harmony. It’s an hour that reminds listeners how the blues often rubbed shoulders with swing and popular music, creating timeless recordings full of rhythm, humor, and sophistication.

The show begins with Scatman Crothers and his playful “When a Cat Begins to Scat.” Long before his Hollywood career, Crothers made his mark as a jazz and blues singer, bringing charm and rhythm into everything he touched. His lighthearted, rhythmic approach to scat singing adds energy to the kickoff.

From there, the focus turns to the King Cole Trio, with a four-song run: “Got a Penny Benny,” “Let’s Spring One,” “My Lips Remember Your Kisses,” and “Pitchin’ Up a Boogie.” Led by Nat “King” Cole, the trio was one of the most influential small combos of the 1940s. Cole’s piano work and smooth vocals, combined with innovative guitar and bass accompaniment, bridged jazz and pop while laying groundwork for R&B. These early recordings capture his ability to balance sophistication with swing.

Next comes Marion Abernathy, the “Blues Woman of Rhythm,” with a suite of four numbers: “Ee-Tid-Ee-Dee,” “Ja-Hoosey Baby,” “Love Me or Let Me Be,” and “Scroogoli-Oli-Re-Bos.” Abernathy’s recordings may be less well-known than her contemporaries, but her performances were full of personality, wit, and blues attitude. She had a knack for mixing novelty lyrics with a driving beat, offering a rare window into female artistry in postwar rhythm & blues.

The spotlight then shifts to the ever-inventive Slim Gaillard, with “Sabroso,” “The Hip Cowboy,” “For You,” and “Lady Be Goode.” Gaillard was one of jazz and blues’ true eccentrics — a guitarist, pianist, and singer fluent in multiple languages and famous for his humorous “Vout-O-Reenee” hipster slang. These recordings show both his playfulness and his deep musicianship, able to turn swing standards into something wholly his own.

The vocal harmony magic continues with The Mills Brothers, delivering “Sweet Lucy Brown,” “Caravan,” and “The Song Is Ended.” The Mills Brothers were pioneers in close-harmony singing and among the first African American groups to achieve mainstream stardom on radio. Their smooth blend carried both jazz sophistication and blues feeling, making them a bridge between styles and audiences.

Following them, The Charioteers step in with “Rogue River Valley.” Known for their gospel-rooted harmonies and ability to move easily between sacred and secular music, The Charioteers often provided background vocals for major stars while also carving out a distinctive style of their own.

The hour then pivots into the instrumental brilliance of boogie-woogie and jazz organ. Pete Johnson, one of the great boogie-woogie pianists, brings the raw blues drive of “Bus Robinson Blues,” while Milt Buckner, the organist credited with popularizing the “block chord” style, adds “Turquois,” offering a warm, swinging conclusion to the set.

Altogether, Hour 1 serves as a reminder of the vibrant crossroads where blues, jazz, scat, and swing all converged. From Scatman Crothers’ vocal acrobatics to the polish of Nat King Cole, from Marion Abernathy’s sass to Slim Gaillard’s humor, and from the harmonic polish of The Mills Brothers to Pete Johnson’s boogie, it’s a rich opening to the show that highlights the diversity of blues-influenced sound in mid-century America.

Hour 1 Playlist

• When a Cat Begins to Scat – Scatman Crothers
• Got a Penny Benny – King Cole Trio
• Let’s Spring One – King Cole Trio
• My Lips Remember Your Kisses – King Cole Trio
• Pitchin’ Up a Boogie – King Cole Trio
• Ee-Tid-Ee-Dee – Marion Abernathy
• Ja-Hoosey Baby – Marion Abernathy
• Love Me or Let Me Be – Marion Abernathy
• Scroogoli-Oli-Re-Bos – Marion Abernathy
• Sabroso – Slim Gaillard
• The Hip Cowboy – Slim Gaillard
• For You – Slim Gaillard
• Lady Be Goode – Slim Gaillard
• Sweet Lucy Brown – Mills Brothers
• Caravan – Mills Brothers
• The Song Is Ended – Mills Brothers
• Rogue River Valley – Charioteers
• Bus Robinson Blues – Pete Johnson
• Turquois – Milt Buckner