Tulsa sound

Tulsa sound
Stylistic origins
Cultural origins1950s
Derivative formsRed Dirt, Southern rock

The Tulsa sound is a popular musical style that originated in Tulsa, Oklahoma, during the second half of the twentieth century.[1] It is a mix of blues, blues rock, country, rock and roll and swamp pop sounds of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Artists considered to have pioneered the Tulsa sound include J. J. Cale,[2] Leon Russell,[3] Roger Tillison[4] and Elvin Bishop.[5] After 1980, Gus Hardin (country),[6] and Jeff Carson (country) released roots music albums.[7] Although Dwight Twilley is from Tulsa, his power pop style bears no resemblance to the Tulsa sound; likewise, David Gates' most recognized songs (including his work with Bread) were mostly in the soft rock genre (though some of Gates' solo album cuts show a stronger Tulsa influence).[8][9][10]

  1. ^ Wooley, John."You know it when you hear it: Put that dictionary down: The Tulsa Sound is hard to define but easy on the ears," Tulsa World, January 2, 2004; no longer online, archived page at web.archive.org retrieved March 2, 2020.
  2. ^ Hoekstra, Dave (15 April 1990). "Songwriter J. J. Cale prefers to remain in the background". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013.
  3. ^ Leon Russell Retrieved 21 November 2022
  4. ^ Roger Tillison Retrieved 24 November 2022
  5. ^ Elvin Bishop Retrieved 19 November 2022
  6. ^ Singer Gus Hardin Killed in Accident. TulsaWorld.com (February 18, 1996). Retrieved on November 29, 2019.
  7. ^ "Jeff Carson Biography". Oldies.com. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  8. ^ "The Tulsa Sound". The Tulsa Sound.
  9. ^ "JJ Cale – Pioneer of The Tulsa Sound – Joe Bonamassa".
  10. ^ Jones, Preston (April 20, 2023). "Mad Songs & Oklahomans: The Tulsa Sound Part One". Oklahoma Today.