Album Review: Joy--A Holiday Collection by Jewel

Jewel's back, and better than ever. Her third release, Joy--A Holiday Collection is a compilation of traditional and somewhat cheesy Yuletide tunes such as "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" as well as a revamped version of "Hands" (from the 1998's Spirit album) and her latest single, "Face of Love," which showcases Jewel's awesome vocal range. Joy shows more sides of Jewel's talent, as she experiments with opera and choral styles in her rendition of "Gloria." The adaptation of guitar to fit the organ's instrumentation provides an updated feel to this variation of Bach's B-minor Mass. The crux of this album is "Gospel Medley." The word "medley" may evokes memories of 5th grade chorus, but this listener was pleasantly surprised to hear the interwoven melodies of the traditional standard "Go Tell it on a Mountain," Jewel's own "Life Uncommon" (from Spirit) and Bette Midler's "From a Distance." Jewel's folk melodies and powerful vocals have always had an underlying spiritual feel, but this new track finally gives her an opportunity to expand on the gospel work of Spirit. Her unadulterated voice carries through in this superb album. A-