|
You can hear a taste of Jones; a nod to Gosdin, and a touch of Hank Jr’s swagger in the singing of Jeff Griffith. His whiskey-soaked voice takes us back a step in time to the “glory days” of country music, when soul-baring emotions, traditional melodies and pared-down tracks allowed a singer to shine. Jeff’s songs speak to the “everyman,” and breathe life back into pure country music. His debut CD, IF IT AIN’T ONE THING IT’S ANOTHER (Arrowhead Records), proves that traditional country music is still a compelling genre, and Jeff plumbs its depths throughout the disc’s 11 tracks. From the opening notes of “It Ain’t The Clothes That Make The Man (It’s The Woman),” he commands the listener’s attention with a deft touch and a natural flair. Griffith moves from two-steps to shuffles to ballads with ease, and there are no production “tricks” in his music – what you hear is a great singer, singing strong country songs, played by some of Nashville’s most-respected musicians. The album has already generated three singles that posted hot-shot numbers on both the Music Row and Texas Music charts. His first release, “Drinkin’ Thing” (written by Wayne Carson and previously a hit for the late Gary Stewart), is in itself worth the price of the CD; the title track (written by Joe Stampley, Tony Stampley, Bobby Carmichael) is a light-hearted romp, and the album’s third single, “I’m Your Radio” (written by Tom Botkin, Kevin Denny, Billy Craven) has quickly brought more attention – and more fans into the Griffith fold. “She Reminds Me Of You” is undeniably Jeff’s favorite song on the CD. “I swore I’d cut it the first time I heard it,” Jeff says. He was so touched by the song that tears ran down his face as he sang the first verse in the studio. It is an outstanding performance on a song that he was born to sing. Produced by Joe Stampley, the album is perfectly paced. It’s a fresh, clean sound that takes Griffith from the heartbreak of his favorite ballad to the more rollickin’ “Holed Up In Some Honky Tonk” (Dean Dillon, Frank Dycus, Blake Mevis) without breaking stride. He admits that his live shows can get “a little crazy,” and he brings that “live” energy - and sense of humor - to “Fishin’ Forever,” another album highlight. Born in the small town of Santa Fe, Texas and raised on a dairy farm, Jeff’s parents bought him his first guitar when he was just seven. His first public performance came when he was just a scrawny eighth-grader. “I was nervous, don’t get me wrong,” he says. “But when that curtain went up, and we started playing ‘Johnny B. Good,’ I knew that performing was what I wanted to do.” And he did, playing lead guitar in a cover band and working the honky tonks around Houston for the next few years. “I was so young when I started, just 14,” he says. “I had to have a chaperone!” It was fun while it lasted, but reality came crashing in when his father suffered a debilitating stroke when Jeff was just 17. “He had a concrete business,” Griffith says of his father. “And after the stroke he couldn’t work. I’d just married my childhood sweetheart, Donna, and I quit school to take over the business to support my folks.” Shortly thereafter, the first of Jeff’s three children were born. “I made myself a promise then,” says Griffith. “I’d quit performing professionally and focus on being a family man. I’d get my kids through high school – and then I’d pursue making music again.” Jeff’s youngest child was just three months shy of her graduation when his good friend (and manager), Charlie Patterson, stepped in. “I’d been playing the club circuit around San Antonio, basically gigging every chance I got,” he says. “When Charlie asked his friend Joe Stampley what I should do next, Joe said he needed to hear me sing before he could give us any advice. Now I live on a ranch in Spring Branch, Texas and I’ve only been out of the state twice in my life. I work hard all week, and play shows every weekend. I’m just a regular guy who hunts and fishes, but here I was, going off to Nashville to audition for a country legend. Next thing you know, I’m in this man’s living room - just me and an acoustic guitar. Gosh, I was nervous,” he says with a laugh. Nerves couldn’t hide his talent though, and Stampley stopped Griffith halfway through his rendition of Craig Morgan’s “Almost Home,” saying he’d heard all he needed to hear. Jeff thought he’d blown the audition, but Stampley picked up the phone, called Patterson and said, “We’ve got to make an album on this guy.” Make an album they did, after listening to hundreds of songs, and finding more treasures by songwriters like Whitey Shafer, Doodle Owens, and Joe and Tony Stampley. “I’m just a down-to-earth, hard-working kind of guy who loves traditional country music,” Griffith says. “I play the banjo and the mandolin on stage at a time when most entertainers don’t even use fiddles or steel guitar. I use ‘em all, and I play music that folks can dance to, too, so we had to look long and hard for songs that suited my style.” It’s a style that is unique: born of tradition, honed by years of longing, and given fresh life by a man with a passion. “God gave me my talent, and I’m thankful for it,” Griffith says. “Now it’s up to me to make something of it.” Jeff reflects upon the 1980’s re-birth of traditional country credited to Randy Travis: “If he could do it, so can I,” he says. And when Jeff Griffith says it, you believe it, too. |
|
||
|
|||
