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.