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Sunday, 10 August, 2008 8:17 PM
CMA New Artist Spotlight: Jeff
Griffith
Photo
by David Clements
Arrowhead
recording artist Jeff Griffith
| By
Bob Doerschuk |
| ©
2008 CMA Close Up News Service |
It's not just the way
Texas native Jeff Griffith sings that evokes the sight of a saloon's
name in neon blazing against a night sky or the sweetness of beer
puddled on a scuffed dance floor. Even if he was only talking, his
boots propped up on a porch fence and a longneck in his hand, the
down-home soul in his voice couldn't be missed.
Of course, it's even better to hear Griffith sing. And on all 11
tracks of Griffith's Arrowhead Records' debut album, If It Ain't
One Thing It's Another, he evokes his old guard heroes, with producer
Joe Stampley capturing every nuance of each performance. Griffith's
spiritual kinship to George Jones shines on the barroom lament,
"She Reminds Me of You," and the dolorous waltz, "It
Was Always So Easy." He can pick up the tempo too, with a Cajun
spin on "Fishin' Forever," and a wry humor on "Holed
Up in Some Honky Tonk."
Griffith picked the album's
songs with an unfailing ear for music that seems woven into the
fabric of his life. Raised on a dairy farm, he made his musical
debut at 14 in a Houston bar. He's weathered the challenges of marrying
at age 17, raising a family and taking over his father's concrete
business following his dad's stroke.
Years later, when a friend
arranged for him to audition for Stampley, Griffith headed for Nashville,
leaving his home state for only the second time in his life. He
has been touring steadily since the album was released, with a stopover
to perform with Stampley at CMA Music Festival - quite a feat for
a humble Texan whose heart stretches as wide as the horizon.
IN HIS OWN WORDS:
BOOK ON YOUR BEDSIDE
TABLE
"The Bible."
PET PEEVE
"Lazy people."
SONG YOU WISH YOU
WROTE
"'Drinkin' Thing.'"
PHRASE YOU SAY OVER
AND OVER
"If it ain't one
thing, it's another."
LEGACY
"I hope they say
I was a singer that truly loved Country Music."
HOMETOWN
"I was born in Santa
Fe, Texas and currently reside in Spring Branch, Texas."
INFLUENCES
"George Jones, Vern
Gosdin and Hank Williams Jr."
On the Web: www.jeffgriffith.net
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