Review from Manchester Evening News

Jewel @ Apollo

THE bar has emptied and the audience is sitting waiting for the gig to start.

Despite having to wait a further 10 minutes, there's hardly a sign of impatience; if there's a more civilised crowd in the pop world than that which gathers to see Jewel, I've yet to see it.

But last night's gig by the Alaska-born singer/songwriter almost never happened, for she recently suffered a broken rib and was wearing an arm-bandage following an accident on a bucking bronco - her boyfriend is a champion rodeo rider.

As a result, she never looked totally at ease, as if unable to know what to do with her hands, and was only able to accompany herself on guitar for a few acoustic numbers in the middle of the two-hour set. To top it all, her drummer and one of her guitarists were also nursing injuries.

Jewel's latest album, This Way, all polished production values and possessing a vibe so laid-back it's almost Californian despite having been recorded in Nashville, is a major departure from her folk roots.

The show, very different from her first appearance in Manchester, in May 1999, reflected it, although the ice-maiden image remains, exaggerated by the over-white lighting.

Serve the Ego was a bluesy blast, while Everybody Needs Someone Sometime was, perhaps a little inappropriate given the subject matter, a raunchy affair.

If Joni Mitchell was the original influence, it's clear that Bonnie Raitt has been on her stereo of late.

There was a lovely moment half-way through the show, when, unable to remember all the words to a track from her debut album, Pieces of You, she invited a female member of the audience up on stage to help her out.

It's not something you see too often, and the mature crowd loved it.

Perhaps a sign of what the future holds for her was the encore, when she sang the old Sarah Vaughn jazz standard Love Me Or Leave Me.

It was truly delightful, a perfect end to an enjoyable night's entertainment.

This review can also be found online at Manchester Online