Jack Griffith is a local legend, actually more than local. He was in the band, Novo Combo in the 80’s and made his mark on the international music scene. After leaving the band, Jack jammed with musicians like Mick Jagger, Carlos Santana, and Gary Moore, he wrote songs for Warner Chappell, Fiona, and Revo Bop and now has his own commercial business studio, locally, where he records bands and produces TV commercials. Jack worked on Spencer Elliott’s CD, which was a Gift Guide pick last week.

Jack’s  mentored many of the musicians who have been featured on Radio Free Charleston over the past quarter-century. He’s one of the most-respected musicians in town.

That’s all beside the point, actually. Jack’s self-titled CD stands on its own as a masterwork of power pop, regardless of his reputation. This is top-notch studio-crafted pop with echoes of New Wave, but still sounding contemporary. Jack played all the instruments and did all the singing at his home studio. This is the sound of an accomplished multi-instrumentalist making music that makes him happy.

All but two of the songs are solo Griffith compositions. The exceptions are “Everything It Takes,” written by his former Novo Combo co-hort, Pete Hewlitt, and “Callifornia Fire,” co-written by Griffith with Ron Chapman and Diana Wingler.

The CD is chock-full of British-influenced powerful rock and roll, with killer guitar solos throughout. Perfect for anyone who likes rock and roll music. You can order a hard copy, or download the CD from CD Baby. Downloads are tricky to wrap, though.