Jothan McKinley Callins (1942-2005), a native of the Birmingham suburb Ensley, was a notable jazz trumpeter, bassist, bandleader, composer, scholar, and educator. Both a product and a champion of Birmingham’s homegrown jazz tradition, Callins devoted much of his energy to preserving and perpetuating his city’s musical legacy.
Jothan McKinley Callins
Alabama Department of Archives and History. Donated by Alabama Media Group. Photo by Neil Brake, Birmingham News.