Is Jeff Callaway Wasting His Life?

The man most know as the trombone guy is also a singer/songwriter not to be missed. Photo by Derek Moreton.

Local musician sets aside trombone and conjures his brilliant singer/songwriter side, to answer the ultimate question

By Tad Wilkes, Nightlife & Lifestyles Editor

tad.wilkes@hottytoddy.com

If you don’t already know the answer is “Hell no,” be sure to catch the show.

Known for years primarily as a trombonist/brass player—who has played with nearly everyone who has ever graced an Oxford stage or recording studio—and music teacher throughout the region, Jeff Callaway now attempts to answer the self-posed question that is the title of his first full-fledged singer/songwriter-formatted showcase: “Is Jeff Callaway Wasting His Life?” The performance is early—at 7:30 p.m.—and free at Proud Larrys’ Wednesday, March 6.

Callaway’s single “Plastic People” from his album By Landlord’s Request has been featured nationwide on Coast to Coast AM with George Noory as well as on Mississippi Public Broadcasting’s Grassroots with Bill Ellison. He’s been a featured guest on Thacker Mountain Radio more times than anyone cares to count. Callaway says the Proud Larrys’ show is his “attempt to break out of the brass box” he finds himself in.

“No matter how good you are on trombone, you’re still usually eight on the call list,” he explains.

“Is Jeff Callaway Wasting His Life?” will feature what Callaway describes as “upbeat tunes of love, despair, desperation, heartache, joy, and despair.” That means you’ll hear his thoughtful, melodic, often funny original songwriting as well as versions of material by great American songwriters including Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, Paul Simon, and Lyle Lovett. Also look for covers of songs by Trey Parker (a Team America: World Police medley), numbers from the Monty Python catalog, and more.