Jewel, Shmewel

[Dan Whitworth <dan>]

Haven't actually heard Jewel's album even though it's been out for about
seven years now [or so it seems].
Saw her in a singer/songwriter's panel at the now-defunct Independent Music
Seminar in 1993, along with other San Diego based musicians, namely Cindy
Lee Berryhill, Gregory Page and another guy whose vapid material, vaguely
reminiscent of America (remember them? ever think they'd be mentioned on
this list?) inspires me to omit his name. (Sadly, I was obliged to endure
him a year later when he opened for John Cale...)

I thought Jewel had a pretty good voice, but what I took away from this
performance/panel was a headful of tunes by Berryhill and Page. New tunes I
had never heard before, that I found myself humming hours later with a
remarkably high level of lyric retention (sounds contagious but you all know
what I mean). I don't mean to suggest that Jewel's music is BAD (the
nameless vapid  guy was bad) but to assert that Page's and Berryhill's was
obviously superior. Nothing Jewel sang lodged in my brain the way
Berryhill's "Gary Handeman" did. And yet Page's only album to date barely
made a ripple outside the local scene, and Berryhill's two albums since then
haven't exactly hit the Top 40. Cynics among us (myself included) might
suspect that the music biz rates actual talent pretty low on its list of
criteria for serious distribution & promotion. If you doubt the importance
of these things, consider this: Berryhill's great "Garage Orchestra" disc
had pretty spotty distribution from her label, Cargo. Her next album, also
on Cargo, sold twice as well simply because Cargo managed to get it
distributed through Capitol. Just being in the stores makes a big difference.

 Of course, this is just a longtime Berryhill booster venting some minor
spleen. I'm just hoping she'll go platinum so Rhino will reissue her first
two albums.

Obscure regards,
Dan Whitworth