What is the Tulsa Sound? Is it a particular rhythm, a recognizable groove, a shared musical history, or something harder to define?

In this episode of Banding Together: The Tulsa Music Podcast, host Dan Potter explores those questions with musician Johnny Williams, who was part of Tulsa’s music scene during its formative years.

Johnny shares stories from his childhood in East Tulsa, where music filled his home and neighborhood. He remembers learning saxophone while a young J.J. Cale played rock and roll down the street, forming a school band with Cale, David Gates, and Claude Russell Bridges—later known as Leon Russell—and performing at school dances before any of them were old enough to imagine where music might take them.

The conversation follows Johnny from Tulsa sock hops and late-night clubs to performances with Jerry Lee Lewis, studio opportunities in California, and the moment he loaned Leon Russell $40 for a bus ticket west. Johnny also reflects on returning to Tulsa, the role faith has played in his life, and why music remains central to who he is.

Tulsa music historian, author, and radio host John Wooley joins Dan to discuss the many influences associated with the Tulsa Sound, including Western swing, blues, gospel, rock and roll, after-hours jam sessions, and the musicians who learned from one another across Tulsa’s clubs and neighborhoods.

The episode also visits Baxter’s Interurban Grill, where Shelby Eicher and a rotating lineup of guest musicians continue a long-running Tulsa tradition of live performance and musical collaboration.

Listen and decide for yourself: What makes the Tulsa Sound distinct, and what has allowed it to endure across generations?

Banding Together is presented by Saied Music in celebration of the company’s 80th anniversary.

Why has Tulsa become one of America’s most remarkable music cities?

In the inaugural episode of Banding Together: The Tulsa Music Podcast, host Dan Potter explores the history, culture, affordability, collaboration, and music education programs that have helped Tulsa and Oklahoma develop an extraordinary community of musicians.

Dan speaks with Dr. Mark Perry, director of Music Industry Studies at Oklahoma State University, about Oklahoma’s diverse musical heritage and the cultural influences that shaped jazz, blues, country, rock, red dirt, Western swing, classical music, and electronic dance music across the state.

Tulsa bassist and music educator Dean DeMerritt discusses Oklahoma’s important jazz history, the legacy of territorial bands, the exchange of musical ideas between Black and white musicians, and why Tulsa’s relatively affordable cost of living gives musicians more freedom to develop their craft.

Dr. David Carter, principal clarinetist of the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra and Tulsa Opera Orchestra, explains how Tulsa attracts professional classical musicians, how the Tulsa Symphony’s musician-led structure has helped the organization thrive, and how exceptional school band programs in Broken Arrow, Owasso, Union, Jenks, and surrounding communities are preparing the region’s next generation of performers.

The episode concludes with a visit to the Tuesday-night musician jam at Baxter’s Interurban Grill in downtown Tulsa, where performers of different ages, backgrounds, and experience levels gather to make music together.

Featured guests include Dr. Mark Perry, Dean DeMerritt, Dr. David Carter, and drummer and retired educator Jeff Woodson.

Banding Together is presented by Saied Music in celebration of the company’s 80th anniversary.