This week’s Blues Before Sunrise delivers something truly special: an in-depth interview with legendary blues historian Robert M.W. Dixon, co-compiler (with John Godrich) of the monumental prewar blues discography Blue & Gospel Records 1890–1943. For collectors, researchers, and serious blues devotees, that book isn’t just a reference — it’s scripture. As Steve Cushing notes, his own working copy is held together with duct tape, a badge of honor for anyone who has chased matrix numbers deep into the night.

Originally featured in Cushing’s book Pioneers of the Blue Revival, the interview airs during Hour Three and becomes the intellectual anchor of the broadcast. Dixon reflects on discographical detective work, the evolution of successive editions (and their shifting billing credits with Godrich and later Howard Rye), and the painstaking process of documenting recordings from an era where paperwork was often scarce and inconsistent. It’s a reminder that behind every 78 rpm disc lies a trail of scholarship — and a lifetime of dedication.

But before we arrive at the interview, the show builds its usual richly layered musical arc.

Hour One opens in swing territory, setting an upbeat, urbane tone. Timmie Rogers eases listeners in before Jimmy Rushing joins the Count Basie orchestra for a trio of blues-drenched big band sides. Helen Humes follows with Savoy-era elegance, her phrasing sharp yet playful. Fats Waller adds wit and rhythmic bounce, while Tab Smith’s sax instrumentals provide sleek mid-century cool. The Four Vagabonds’ harmonies and Meade Lux Lewis’ piano brilliance deepen the texture, while Paul Robeson’s “Canoe Song” adds unexpected gravitas. Plas Johnson’s “Last Call” closes the hour like the final cocktail at a velvet-lined lounge.

Hour Two pivots toward rhythm & blues and early rock energy. Joe Liggins heads “Back to New Orleans,” followed by Wynonie Harris’ combustible swagger. Chuck Willis, Etta James, and Fats Domino reinforce the emotional backbone of postwar R&B — heartbreak, resilience, and groove. Ann Cole and Sonny Thompson keep the dance floor warm, while Pinetop Smith and Lonnie Johnson reach further back into blues lineage. Tampa Red and Ethel Waters offer polish and poise before the hour transitions into gospel. Rev. J.M. Gates, the Sensational Nightingales, and the Soul Stirrers provide spiritual grounding, echoing themes Dixon himself helped preserve in print.

Hour Three belongs to Robert M.W. Dixon. The interview doesn’t just discuss records — it affirms the importance of preserving musical memory. Without scholars like Dixon, much of what fills the previous two hours might exist only as rumor or fragment.

Hour Four explodes with electric blues firepower. Johnny “Guitar” Watson’s trio of sides crackles with West Coast cool, while Ike Turner delivers muscular, driving blues. Lightning Hopkins brings raw Texas intensity, and Roscoe Gordon’s Memphis grooves keep things loping and hypnotic. Willie Mabon injects sly humor before Earl Hooker showcases his fluid slide mastery. Albert Collins caps the hour with icy precision, his stinging guitar tone cutting clean through the speakers.

Hour Five eases the intensity. The Charioteers open with smooth harmony before Wes Montgomery’s “Whisper Not” glides in with late-night sophistication. Al Hibbler and Ella Fitzgerald add vocal elegance, and Brother Jack McDuff swings hard on “The Honeydripper.” Brook Benton’s twin ballads offer soulful romance before Delta-rooted blues returns via Robert Nighthawk and Forrest City Joe. Taildragger and Jimmy Yancy reinforce Chicago piano grit. Charles Brown and Bonnie Raitt blend eras beautifully, and Andrew Dunham’s “I Found Out” keeps the feeling grounded.

The show closes, as it often does, with Fleetwood Mac’s “Albatross” — a gentle instrumental drift that feels like sunrise finally arriving.

This episode of Blues Before Sunrise balances scholarship and soul, reminding us that blues isn’t just heard — it’s preserved, studied, and passed on.