The Grammy-nominated singer has won acclaim as a poet (A Night Without Armor), songwriter and actress. Her lyrics are often autobiographical, tracing the joys and pitfalls of life and fame. A natural synthesis of country, pop, rock, jazz and classical styles makes it difficult to pigeon-hole this artist.
The native of Payson, Utah, was welcomed back to her home state Saturday night by a sold-out audience of 5,000.
It didn't seem to matter to many of those who couldn't see the artist from their upper lawn seating, or that the sound was often muddy and unbalanced. A party atmosphere reigned with spirited conversation, popping corks and frequent wandering during the music.
More devoted fans crowded near and swayed to the singer's ethereal voice - at times feather light then darkening for added emphasis during the chorus for songs like "Standing Still" and "Goodbye Alice in Wonderland."
A breezy beat and reflective lyrics gave "You Were Meant for Me" an easy charm - much like the singer's entertaining storytelling talent between sets. (One story had her accompanying Mexican Federales on a south-of-the-border nautical drug bust.)
Jewel's jazzy, improvisational style was demonstrated during "Who Will Save Your Soul" as she traded scat-style riffs with Greg Suran's guitar playing. She showed off her rock chops in "Just Leave Me Alone," which also used the symphony's brass section to potent effect.
Encores included a masterfully yodeled "Chime Bells," which hit warp speed during the final chorus, and a new song from her country album, "Thump, Thump." She was primed for another encore when an off-stage official prompted her that there was a 9:30 p.m. concert curfew, thus bringing the program to an awkward halt.
The concert's all-orchestral first half featured the symphony's new (September 2006) assistant conductor in his Deer Valley Festival maiden voyage. He trotted out two works the orchestra has performed to exhaustion (Dvorak's "Carnival Overture" and Bernstein's "Selections from West Side Story") and a couple of other selections frequently on the symphony's pops playÂlist (the final dance from De Falla's "The Three Cornered Hat" and Ernesto Lecuona's "Malagueña").
Fortunately, the orchestra was in good form, playing with spirit and accuracy, but David Cho's conducting was undistinguished. He didn't do any real damage, but it would have been nice had he better managed tempo and dynamics for a less interpretatively generic reading.
Enjoying events at the festival's outdoor venue requires beating at least 2,500 people to the gate for prime lawn chair real estate or buying reserved seats - especially for Tony Bennett in August.
Jewel with the Utah Symphony
WHERE: Snow Park Lodge Amphitheater, Deer Valley
* WHEN: Saturday
* BOTTOM LINE: Jewel's distinctive vocals floated over sumptuous backup by the Utah Symphony Orchestra.
* UP NEXT at the Deer Valley Music Festival is "Haydn Seek," conducted by Keith Lockhart with cellist Alexandre Bouzlov on Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., at St. Mary's Church, 1505 W. White Pine Canyon Rd., Park City. Tickets are $25, $12 for students at 801-355-ARTS.
