Jewel: Live at Humphrey's By the Bay

Filmed live at San Diego's Humphrey's By the Bay in the summer of 2001, Alaska coffeehouse folksinger-turned-pop-sensation Jewel Kilcher regales a relatively intimate 1,000-plus audience with a 13-song set, with a third of the songs drawn from her then-current release This Way. Armed with only a guitar and her breathy voice, Jewel performs the first nine songs solo (humorously aided by a fan who comes onstage to walk her through the lyrics for “Kiss the Flame”), with highlights including the debut album hit “Near You Always,” and the new songs “Break Me” and “The New Wild West.” For the final four numbers, she's joined by a band for kick-out-the-jam versions of “Hands,” the excellent “Everybody Needs Someone Sometime,” and a superb “Who Will Save Your Soul” (with Jewel fearlessly experimenting with scat, trills, mumbled spoken word, and growls--all the while reminding listeners that, despite the folkie image, she has a truly remarkable voice with considerable range). Presented in DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1, and stereo, the disc comes with a substantial set of extras, including bonus performances of three songs, an “on the road” music video of the hit song “Standing Still,” and an interview with Jewel. Recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)