Canter Bridge

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Jewel’s debut album struck a chord for the sheer non-ordinary quality of her voice. Even if the lyrics sometimes seem a bit overwrought and over-wise, the sound is convincing, especially when taken from a young artist just making her breakout.

I can still remember where I was when I first hear ‘Foolish Games’ (Hwy 101 northbound between Santa Rosa and San Francisco). It still rates as one of Jewel’s finest ballads. I bought the CD that very day.

This was a voice that arguably sprang straight from the small club to the recording studio, with the lingering aroma of its former venue still clinging to it. The spare orchestration lends itself to this conclusion as does the occasional live recording in the CD. Jewel has since grown beyond this, a good thing on balance but not without its residual regrets.

Jewel has gone on to bigger things. It is difficult to include that they’ve been better than this debut, which in its moment was a revelation.