As Blues Before Sunrise drifts into the fifth and final hour of its annual Halloween show, the mood shifts from haunted house theatrics to the cool, late-night afterglow — where ghosts give way to memory, and the supernatural yields to the soulful. After four hours of howling mojo men, black cats, and blues devils, this closing set feels like walking home from the graveyard at dawn: reflective, wistful, and filled with music that still hums with mystery.

The hour opens with the Delta Rhythm Boys and “She Believed a Gypsy,” a light-hearted slice of harmony jazz where superstition meets swing. The group’s smooth phrasing and tight vocal blend transform what could’ve been a simple novelty tune into something slyly charming — a reminder that the line between luck and love is as thin as a tarot card. From there, the mood moves to the dance floor with Erskine Hawkins, the “Twelfth Street Rag Man,” whose “A Skippin’ & A’ Hoppin’” and “So Long Goodbye Blues” bring the elegance of big band energy to the set. Hawkins’ horn-led orchestra swings effortlessly, their sophisticated polish echoing the golden era of late-night ballroom blues.

The spell deepens with Georgia Carr, whose “I Dream of You” is a satin-smooth torch song that bridges cabaret sophistication and blues-inflected yearning. Carr, an underrated vocalist of the 1950s, channels a smoky confidence that perfectly fits the hour’s reflective turn. She gives way to Houston Person’s “True Blues,” a lush instrumental with the tenor saxophone taking center stage — a sound equal parts midnight lament and soulful exhale.

No Halloween show would be complete without Dinah Washington, whose “I Wanna Cry” and “It’s Too Soon to Know” capture the aching vulnerability of love lost. Dinah’s phrasing is pure heartbreak — dramatic but human, spiritual yet grounded in the blues. Her mastery of tone makes even the simplest lyric sound haunted.

The mood continues with Jr. Parker, whose smooth Memphis delivery in “Pretty Baby” and “I’m Holding On” adds a rhythm and blues pulse to the hour. His balance of soul and restraint gives the set an intimate, late-night vibe. Little Milton follows with “That’ll Never Do” and “Operator,” both sharp examples of his St. Louis-to-Chicago blues hybrid — slick guitar, churchy vocals, and a storyteller’s edge.

The set’s grit emerges with Kid Thomas and “Wolf Pack,” a brass-fueled New Orleans cut that feels both celebratory and sinister. Dusty Brown’s “Hurry Home” keeps the city blues alive with harmonica grit, followed by Big Boy Crudup’s “That’s Alright,” a song that famously influenced Elvis Presley’s early sound but here reclaims its rightful blues authority.

Earl Gaines’ “Mercy on My Soul” serves as a confessional before the curtain falls, his pleading tone giving the hour’s emotional center. And then, as dawn approaches, the show closes with Fleetwood Mac’s “Albatross” — an instrumental ghost story in sound. Peter Green’s guitar floats like mist, echoing over the remnants of all the songs that came before it. There are no words, just the suggestion of eternity — the perfect end to a five-hour séance of blues, soul, and spirit.

Hour Five of the BBS Annual Halloween Show isn’t about jump scares or voodoo rituals. It’s about the spell that lingers when the candles burn out — the ache in a note, the sigh between lines, the quiet beauty of the blues that haunt not with fear, but with feeling.

Hour 5 Playlist

SHE BELIEVED A GYPSY – Delta Rhythm Boys

A SKIPPIN’ & A’ HOPPIN’ – Erskine Hawkins

SO LONG GOOD-BYE BLUES – Erskine Hawkins

I DREAM OF YOU – Georgia Carr

TRUE BLUES – Houston Person

I WANNA CRY – Dinah Washington

IT’S TOO SOON TO KNOW – Dinah Washington

PRETTY BABY – Jr. Parker

I’M HOLDING ON – Jr. Parker

THAT’LL NEVER DO – Little Milton

OPERATOR – Little Milton

WOLF PACK – Kid Thomas

HURRY HOME – Dusty Brown

THAT’S ALRIGHT – Big Boy Crudup

MERCY ON MY SOUL – Earl Gaines

ALBATROSS – Fleetwood Mac