Hour 1 of this week’s Blues Before Sunrise set the stage with a vibrant mix of swing, horn-driven jazz, and early rhythm & blues, bridging the gap between big band sophistication and the raw, danceable energy that would eventually feed modern blues and rock traditions. Steve Cushing curated a set that moved seamlessly between instrumental virtuosity, powerful vocals, and ensemble swing, giving listeners both historical context and pure listening pleasure.

The hour opens with Gene Ammons, whose tenor saxophone mastery shines on “Fine & Foxy.” Ammons was known for his rich tone and fluid phrasing, a player who could swing effortlessly while maintaining the emotional depth of the blues. His later pieces, “Because of Rain,” “Jim Dawgs,” and “Street of Dreams,” demonstrate why he became a central figure in the Chicago jazz and blues scene.

Joe Carroll, a vocalist closely associated with the Count Basie Orchestra, delivered four swinging cuts: “Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea,” “It Don’t Mean a Thing,” “Route 66,” and “Jeepers Creepers.” Carroll’s phrasing was playful and precise, balancing jazz sophistication with blues-infused storytelling. His work laid the foundation for vocalists who would bridge jazz and R&B in the postwar era.

Hot Lips Page, a trumpeter, singer, and bandleader, brought his signature flair to the session with “Cadillac Song,” “The Jungle King,” and “Ain’t Nothin’ Wrong with That Baby.” Page’s trumpet playing was fiery and nimble, while his vocal performances combined swing-era polish with blues grit, reminding listeners how instrumentalists often doubled as vocal storytellers in the 1940s jazz-blues landscape.

Vocal harmony groups added further texture to the hour. The Four Clefs brought playful energy with “V-Day Stomp,” “Take It & Get,” and “Dig These Blues,” showcasing the tight vocal arrangements that were a hallmark of early R&B ensembles. Meanwhile, the Cats & the Fiddle contributed “We Cats Will Swing for You,” a cut that highlights the group’s inventive vocal lines paired with rhythmic piano and string accompaniment.

Piano virtuosity was represented by Meade Lux Lewis, whose “Randini’s Boogie” and “Lux’s Boogie” exemplify the boogie-woogie tradition, a rhythmic driving force that would influence countless blues and jazz musicians. The combination of rolling left-hand basslines and improvised right-hand flourishes gave the hour an infectious sense of momentum.

Finally, Buck & Bubbles (“Rhythm’s OK in Harlem”) and Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis (“Tech Me Tonight”) closed the hour with a swing-forward sound that tied the various threads together. Buck & Bubbles’ piano and tap duet conveyed both showmanship and rhythmic sophistication, while Lockjaw Davis’s tenor saxophone anchored the set with bold, soulful lines.

Hour 1 offered a vibrant introduction to the day’s musical journey, setting the tone for the more vocal-centered and blues-heavy hours to follow. By balancing jazz virtuosity, vocal group energy, and solo instrumentals, Steve Cushing demonstrated the interconnectedness of jazz, swing, and blues in postwar America, reminding listeners that the blues was never just a single style—it was the heartbeat underlying many forms of Black popular music.

Hour 1 Playlist

Gene Ammons – Fine & Foxy

Joe Carroll – Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea

Joe Carroll – It Don’t Mean a Thing

Joe Carroll – Route 66

Joe Carroll – Jeepers Creepers

Hot Lips Page – Cadillac Song

Hot Lips Page – The Jungle King

Hot Lips Page – Ain’t Nothin’ Wrong with That Baby

Four Clefs – V-Day Stomp

Four Clefs – Take It & Get

Four Clefs – Dig These Blues

Gene Ammons – Because of Rain

Gene Ammons – Jim Dawgs

Gene Ammons – Street of Dreams

Cats & the Fiddle – We Cats Will Swing for You

Meade Lux Lewis – Randini’s Boogie

Meade Lux Lewis – Lux’s Boogie

Buck & Bubbles – Rhythm’s OK in Harlem

Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis – Tech Me Tonight