Hour Four of this week’s Blues Before Sunrise explodes with the sound of the Chicago electric era at its most vital. If the earlier portions of the show moved through refinement, roots, and revelation, this stretch is pure voltage—a celebration of how the blues evolved from back-porch lament to powerhouse stage music. Here, rhythm and phrasing become as important as lyric, and the guitar speaks with as much authority as any human voice.

The set kicks off with a quadruple blast from Freddy King, whose instrumental mastery defines the transition from jump-blues flash to modern guitar heroics. “Surf Monkey,” “Sen-Sa-Shun,” “Freddy’s Midnight Dream,” and “Low Tide” all show why King’s tone and phrasing still stand unmatched. There’s an irresistible swing beneath the power—tight band arrangements, crisp breaks, and that signature bite that made him a cornerstone of the Texas-meets-Chicago sound. When “Hide Away” hits, the groove feels timeless: an anthem for every bar band that ever dreamed of capturing lightning in three minutes of 12-bar perfection.

From there, the baton passes naturally to Otis Rush, one of the true architects of the West Side style. His cuts—“So Many Roads,” “I’m Satisfied,” “All Your Love,” and “You Know My Love”—reveal the emotional complexity behind the electricity. Rush’s voice trembles with controlled tension, while his guitar lines hover on the edge of despair and transcendence. No other player could make pain sound so elegant. Each solo builds like a storm, a mix of precision and abandon that influenced everyone from Buddy Guy to Eric Clapton.

The spotlight then turns to Magic Sam, another West Side giant whose tone radiated warmth and urgency in equal measure. “Just Like a Fish” and “I’ve Been Down So Long” show his mastery of rhythm and his ability to inject gospel-infused emotion into electric settings. His “Backstroke” instrumental proves he could swing as hard as he could sing, while his version of “All Your Love” (distinct from Rush’s) serves as a companion piece—two artists interpreting the same emotional terrain through different shades of fire. Sam’s blend of soul, shuffle, and raw sincerity gave Chicago blues a heartbeat that still echoes today.

Finally, Earl Hooker takes the closing slot, and there’s no more fitting choice. Known as a musician’s musician, Hooker was a technician and innovator whose guitar seemed to speak every dialect of the blues. “Dust My Broom,” “The Moon Is Rising,” and “Swinging at Theresa’s” are pure demonstrations of skill and feeling intertwined. His use of slide and phrasing is melodic but muscular, and the live energy captured on “Swinging at Theresa’s” puts the listener right in the South Side club scene—late night, crowded floor, smoke hanging thick, the crowd swaying in time.

Hour Four captures an era when the electric blues was not just evolving—it was defining American music’s next chapter. These musicians turned amplification into art, crafting a sound that would ripple through rock, soul, and funk. There’s no nostalgia here, only momentum. Even without a “special theme,” this hour becomes its own statement: that the blues, in the hands of masters, is endlessly new.

Hour 4 Playlist

SURF MONKEY – FREDDY KING

SEN-SA-SHUN – FREDDY KING

FREDDY’S MIDNIGHT DREAM – FREDDY KING

LOW TIDE – FREDDY KING

HIDE AWAY – FREDDY KING

SO MANY ROADS – OTIS RUSH

I’M SATISFIED – OTIS RUSH

ALL YOUR LOVE – OTIS RUSH

YOU KNOW MY LOVE – OTIS RUSH

JUST LIKE A FISH – MAGIC SAM

I’VE BEEN DOWN SO LONG – MAGIC SAM

BACKSTROKE – MAGIC SAM

ALL YOUR LOVE – MAGIC SAM

DUST MY BROOM – EARL HOOKER

THE MOON IS RISING – EARL HOOKER

SWINGING AT THERESA’S – EARL HOOKER