He was the owner of the prestigious 5th Avenue Record Shop in Seattle for five years. Several of Mr. Graves compositions were performed by the Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra, including Symphonic Waltz (1965), and Seattle, A Symphonic Portrait (1966).  The Bellevue Philharmonic Orchestra featured his Olympic Rain Forest (1966), Joyous Overture (1972), and Lyric Symphony in D Major (1977). Some of Jack's symphonies and shorter works were published worldwide. One of his most popular is the Wonderful Wizard of Oz symphony, which was inspired by an animation project with Rob McVeigh.  The music was used in a full feature documentary, The Life and Times of L. Frank Baum and the Royal History of Oz.  As an avid sailor , and sailing instructor, Jack was inspired by Will Stout's Global Citizen Society to compose a symphonic suite about the organization's Arctic Sailing Expedition. The Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra premiered his Global Citizen Suite in 1994. In 1998 , Graves along with Stephen Lamson formed the Northwest Composers Forum, which promotes and supports composers in the northwest.

In 1999, Jack Graves together with Stephen Lamson and R. Joseph Scott founded the Kirkland Orchestra, which had is debut concert in April of 2000.

Graves and Lamson combined their musical talents in several other works, including the rousing American Dream March, and Stephen Lamson's symphonic odyssey, La Guerre, which Jack arranged and orchestrated.

Jack was a jovial and passionate man, and loved by all who knew him.  In 1998 , he purchased a home in the Illahee area of Bremerton, where he loved the quiet serenity of the area.  Although Jack was an orphan and had no survivors, he clearly had a unique family of friends, musicians, sailors, and artists that often referred to him as Captain Jack or Uncle Jack.