Return to Vinyls: Golden Age and New Jazz, Classic Soul, RnB and Blues

Return to Vinyls is a podcast for people who love Soul Music, The Blues, R&B and the sounds of Jazz. Each month, it looks beyond the surface and explores the creation of great music. Often revealing earlier versions of songs we all know and uncovering forgotten tracks that deeply influenced the artists who followed—revealing connections we  never knew existed

But this isn’t just another music review show. As a retired university professor in art, media and culture, and a working visual artist, host David Husom takes an artistic and cultural lens to the creative proce...

For artists many times there is a precursor. Something they dabbled in or explored and then got sidetracked and headed off in a different direction. But that precursor comes back. And this time that earlier experiment, that earlier spark or exploration becomes a driving force.

The idea for Miles Davis and Gil Evans to record with a large orchestra did not happen overnight. It was the evolutionary result of a musical partnership that began years earlier with the Davis and Evan’s work on the so called Birth Of The Cool sessions.

But that partnership le...

When you think of a harmonica you might think of some lonesome cowpoke entertaining the other cowboys with "Home On The Range" sitting around the campfire in a cowboy movie. Or you might think of the blues greats bending notes on a harmonica, or what is also called a “blues harp.” The most common is the Hohrner Marine Band harmonica. It is known as a Diatonic harmonica. Ten notes in and ten notes out.

The other kind of harmonica is a Chromatic. It has 48 notes— it can play sharps and flats like a piano and th...

If you know anything about popular music you most certainly have heard of Ray Charles. If you are a fan of jazz, R&B and the blues you probably know his R&B recordings. But during the 1960s he succeeded as a cross over artist and placed over a dozen albums and over sixty singles on the Billboard popular music and R&B charts. From there he became a master of Country Western music, expanding the genera and proving the mass appeal of Country music.

Ray Charles is experiencing a resurgence again in 2026, with his music and...

May 26, 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of jazz musician and trumpeter Miles Davis. Return To Vinyls Podcast presents a special episode honoring Miles Davis and his music on this 100 year milestone. The episode highlights some of the best compilation releases of Miles’ musical output.

Miles Davis explored a number of different directions during his tremendous career. The collections highlighted in this episode offer a convenient, cost-effective way to get the very best of Miles for Mile's fans and are also an excellent starting point for those new to jazz looking to discover Mi...

Musical families are not uncommon in all genera of music. But few have been as all encompassing as Rufus, Marvell, Vaneese and Carla Thomas were in soul music and the Stax record label. Rufus Thomas and his son and daughters didn’t just record for Stax and create some of the best known hits the label released— Rufus along with Carla were the catalyst that transformed a struggling studio into a global soul powerhouse.

Rufus was well known as the “World’s Oldest Teenager” and the “Funkiest Man Alive” and many of his own hits were dance hits based on...

Generally in the arts and entertainment world you get one chance. If you are lucky you will have some success and maybe even a big hit. If you are very lucky you will have sustained success and a string of hits. Well maybe for a few years anyway. 

But in most cases that mixture of familiarity and uniqueness that combine to create something new and that special something the work brings to the world will fade as culture and taste moves on to new things. Sure there are those that get a second chance after a period o...

Drums were probably the first musical instrument created by humans. Drum beats are natural —be it heartbeats or the sounds of nature. The oldest drum ever found goes back over 7,500 years. In modern music, drums always played a role to set the beat, keep the rhythm and energize the music. But the role of percussionists started changing around the time of WWII. Drummers like Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa started moving drums from the back row to center stage where it took on a more important and dominate role; leading to the drums becoming an instrument of personal expression an...

There are great musicians and singers that transcend musical genera and boundaries. But how about someone who started with a very silly novelty rock and roll song, but ended up a night club act and a Las Vegas star that rivaled Frank Sinatra doing jazz standards while still appealing to young teens and adult audiences at the same time.   

Big band swing and rock and roll were not just worlds apart, but the two had zero respect for each other. Yet Bobby Darin was able to do just that. He moved back and forth between swing and ro...

Return to Vinyls podcast is about music: jazz, soul and the blues. From the classics era to today's artists who draw inspiration from the classics. It is also about the creative process and how artists deal with the obstacles that can get in the way of doing what they do best. Give us a listen.

It is not unusual for a song to come out and basically be ignored, but then it is plucked from obscurity and used in a movie or TV show. And all of the sudden it is everywhere. Downloads or streaming make that a pretty easy task. But what about back in the days when vinyl was the only choice?

What if Clint Eastwood, known for his great fondness for jazz, took one of those now forgotten songs two years later and used it in a feature film. That is exactly what happened with Roberta...

In 1971 the African country of Ghana hosted a musical celebration called the “Soul to Soul Festival.” It is often referred to as the “Woodstock of Africa.” Although the festival was to honor the tenth anniversary of an independent Ghana, the Festival not only introduced American soul, R&B and modern jazz to the African continent, but the concert had a profound effect on the American musicians who played there that weekend; including jazz pianist and vocalist Les McCann, accompanied by saxophonist Eddie Harris. They had recently crossed over to success with a politically tinged soul music hit. And a young si...

Miles Davis was a true jazz lovers — jazz musician. Well, if the criteria is that he was never very popular with mainstream music buyers. Unlike other jazz greats like Louis Armstrong, Stan Getz, Dave Brubeck and Cannonball Adderley, Miles Davis never had a hit record in spite of releasing 57 singles. He had just a few albums that charted in the top 100. So no, Miles Davis never crossed over into popular music circles.
Supposedly, you have to really know something about jazz to understand his music. Which is too bad because he did record a whole heck of a lo...

Think you are not a fan of jazz, think Miles Davis has nothing to offer you? Davis, during his 45 plus year career, released at least 60 studio albums and 39 live albums, as well as 46 compilation albums, 27 box sets, and 4 soundtrack albums. He reinvented himself almost as often as he changed his socks (well at least every few years anyway). Starting in the 1940s there was a move away from big band swing with Be Bop. He then moved on to cool jazz - he was there for the birth of the cool. Then in 1959 he redefined jazz, moving from chord...

Memphis based Stax recording star soul singer Johnnie Taylor is probably best remembered today for his R&B hits. But very few crossed over to top 40 radio. So unless you are an in-depth fan of Stax records hits from the 1960s or perhaps a follower of vintage disco you probably do not know much of his catalog of soul and blues and his dance disco hit. It is odd sometimes that artists are remembered for just one or two things when they had relatively successful lifetime careers. There is no doubt that Taylor was a talented singer. He was...

If you know anything about the American singer Nina Simone it is probably her deep rich voice singing jazz, blues, soul and popular songs. She often wrote and sang songs for, and about, the civil rights movement. But she also took old standards and popular songs of the day and managed to turn those into civil right anthems as well. But she never studied voice and she never really sang publicly until she turned professional and got her first gig playing piano in a casino-bar. 

Her wish was to became a classical pianist. She started playing and s...

Even if you are not a country western fan you probably know who Waylon Jennings is and very well might know his song "Bob Wills Is Still The King." So who was Bob Willis you may wonder? He played violin and lead the group Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. He was known as the king of Western Swing which birthed the Western side of Country Western. And that Western Swing music is rooted in the blues and in jazz. Even Ornette Coleman played with him early on. Yes the Bebop player and founder of the free jazz played...

So what is gospel music? Google’s AI says that gospel music is a style of Christian music that originated in African American communities. It’s characterized by rhythmic, spiritual melodies and harmonies. Gospel music often includes call-and-response, group singing, and refrains. Oxford dictionary adds that gospel music is about the teachings of Jesus,

According to the Smithsonian, the great Mahalia Jackson was known as the “Queen of Gospel Music.” One of Mahalia Jackson’ earliest recordings Move On Up A Little Higher from 1947 is in the National Recording Registry. Meaning it is seen as a significant song and recordin...

I think when most people hit the jackpot, they go out and buy their lottery dream-home and live happily ever after. Well we know from studies that winning the lottery or striking it rich does not always end up well down the road. But you get the point. You win and you are free to do absolutely nothing. Why work when you don’t have it. However, for many if not most artists, no matter how successful they get, they don’t stop —they keep on working and keep pushing boundaries even it means more pressure and yes, more work...

There are some musicians and artists who regularly reinvent themselves. The Beatles did it right up to their final album. Bob Dylan has done it so many times that in I’m Not There the 2007 film inspired by his life and music, six different actors played his various periods. The reality is that most artists are lucky to get one hit during their career. So what about those that sustain themselves year after year and have careers that last not just weeks or months but decades? Artist’s early in their career need to have a portfolio with multiple ideas...

In the 1960s and 70s thanks to the explosion in new FM radio stations and the popularity of records, political songs that might have been too controversial for Top 40 radio became part of the soundtrack for a generation. But sometimes what are seen as political songs, and even so called protest songs, really weren’t meant to be political to begin with. Some songs that were meant to be political were not seen as such when they were popular. And songs like Yankee Doodle, Dixie, or This Land Is Your Land that once were very political as time passes become...

The song Green Onions by Booker T and the MGs is without doubt one of the major rock and soul instrumentals to come out of the 1960s. According to a review on AllMusic.Com it is “one of the most popular instrumental rock and soul songs ever.” The song is based on a classic twelve-bar blues progression fused with jazz and features Booker T. Jones on Hammond organ, Al Jackson Jr. on drums, Steve Cropper on Fender Telecaster guitar and Lewis Steinberg on bass guitar. The four, particularly once Donald "Duck" Dunn took over bass duties, they were the classi...

Return To Vinyls Season Two is coming in January with more R&B, more soul and more musicians that defied easy categories. And of course more great stories behind the music and the creative music makers. Look for us on your favorite podcast host.

She’s been called the godmother of rock and roll. Rolling Stone Magazine named her the 6th greatest guitarist of all time in 2023. If you saw the Elvis movie. Yep, she was in there. The British singer Yola played her singing Strange Things Are Happening Every Day at a club. Elvis was a fan, as the movie depicted. Keith Richards of the band the Rolling Stones has talked about how her European concert tours in the early 1960s influenced British guitarists. She was often called the Swinger of Spirituals — yes she did gospel songs. But it was her electric guit...

Humans have been transfixed by the night sky, well, since the beginning of human existence. There’s ancient rock art and cave art that depicts celestial events and structures that align with the solstices or equinoxes. The stars in the sky tell stories from the American Indian and Australian Aborigine oral traditions, to the ancient myths from Greek, Roman and Arab cultures. They at times overlap from cultures separated by thousands of years and thousands of miles. 

There are monsters, Cassiopeia, a queen held captive by the sea god Poseidon, her daughter Andromeda was chained to a roc...

Do you ever wonder why a particular song becomes a hit? Or a best selling book, blockbuster movie, or why a newly emerged visual artist will have work on display or one person shows at major museums all around the world at the same time? As you might guess people have studied that phenomenon. 

If you are going to study creative success, music is a good place to begin and we will look at a recent study that does just that. There are a known number of record companies that have produced hits. There are databases like D...

As WWII was drawing to a close in the mid 1940s America’s musical taste was changing and along with it musical venues were going through an upheaval. Dance halls and ballrooms saw audiences abandon once crowded dance floors for a listening experience. But by the 1950s music and venues were changing again. Music in general, and jazz in particular was seen as more sophisticated thanks in part to magazines like Esquire. Therefore jazz stated moving to college campuses and even the most discerning and storied classical music halls.

The jazz pianist Dave Brubeck an...

The Late Brazilian jazz pianist and band leader Sergio Mendes, who passed away this month, was best known for fronting the Bossa Nova group Brazil 66 who had there first big hit with the Brazilian song Mais Que Nada sung in Portuguese it more or less translates as "Much of Nothing." It was great to see and hear all the tributes to Sergio Mendes and his music. But I was flummoxed that there was never any mention of his truly breakthrough group Brasil 65. Yes before Brasil 66 there was Brasil 65 and for me they were the most exciting and authentic musicians...

You need to look no further than the album cover from a new release from British jazz musician Matthew Halsall to know that art and nature both play a critical part in his work. His LP An Ever Changing View has to be one of the most beautiful vinyl packages ever produced. The two record set doesn't stop there, it also contains some really interesting music as well. 

Along with art his other non-musical influence is the natural world. His music is a blend of jazz and deeply meditative influences that’s in tune with the natural world...

Do we need yet one more album of someone playing their favorite Beatles hits? When it is Brad Mehldau yes we do. One of the world's top jazz pianists — rated among the top five  on National Public Radio and winner of the Downbeat Magazine Reader's Poll eight times, has delved into a few Beatles songs in the past. But this time he jumps in with both feet and the results will surprise and impress you. So what is it about the Beatles and their songs anyway? We will find out from someone who was there. At least in front of...

Marvin Gaye is certainly a well known Motown star. You may know a bit about the tragic story of his life and death. But you probably do not know all the details and the struggles he went through. Nor the vast catalogue of his many hit records. Add to that all the changes Gaye’s music went through as American society changed in the 1960s and 1970s. 

And I bet you have never heard any of R&B singer David Porter’s albums on Stax records. Which is amazing because you no doubt do know his songs. But t...

This episode looks at Time Outtakes‚ a Vinyl, CD and download from Brubeck Editions of just that - outtakes of the famous Dave Brubeck Quartet Time Out sessions. The album comes from an earlier recording session where they were still ironing out the details that would become Time Out and Take Five. It is a chance to look further at the process of building the album and explore and compare the original release with this release of alternative outtakes. It is an interesting dive into the creative process of four masterful musicians.

Color may not be the first thing you think of with music. But it is there hiding in plain site. Western music is based on the Chromatic Scale from the Greek, chrôma, meaning color. Think of a piano with white and black keys. If you follow through both the white and black keys (the flats and sharps) you get 12 equal pitches — that is the Chromatic Scale. The term Chromatic goes back to the Greeks and was refined in the Renaissance. 

Or the notion of color in music can be used in the sense that visual colors, like...

Rhythm and Blues, or R&B as it is normally referred to, emerged on the music scene in the early 1950s. By the early 1960s R&B, particularly that coming out of Detroit from Barry Gordy’s Tabla and Motown labels was popular across a broad spectrum of music. But as the Beatles and British invasion music begin to dominate the pop charts, R&B took a turn from the heavily orchestrated Motown sound of groups like the Supremes and Temptations to deeper soul music. Wilson Pickett was one of the singers who both rode that new wave and he...

Updated newly edited version of the first episode with improved content.

The thing about a great work of art, a true masterpiece, be it music, visual art or literature is that the person or the people who created it generally had no idea that it would take on a life of its own. Creativity can be frustrating at times!

The song Take Five and the Dave Brubeck jazz album Time Out were both huge commercial hits. Released in December of 1959 Time Out was the number two selling album in the country in November 1961. Why the almost...