Rock News: Music's high and low notes

'HELPING HANDS II: HANDMADE IN AMERICA'

Jewel will help AOL Time Warner launch the online charity auction "Helping Hands II: Handmade in America" with a performance Wednesday evening at the American Folk Art Museum's new building in New York.

The event will include the unveiling of the various patriotic handicrafts donated by various celebrities for the auction, which will benefit nine organizations on the front lines of relief efforts: the American Red Cross, the WTC School Relief Fund, the New York Firefighters 9-11 Disaster Relief Fund, the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund, the New York State World Trade Center Relief Fund, the September 11th Fund, the Survivors' Fund of the National Capital Region, the Twin Towers Fund and the WTC Police Disaster Relief Fund.

Britney Spears and pop duo Evan and Jaron are among the stars who have created and donated handmade crafts and objects reflecting their interpretation of the American spirit. They include a signed patriotic BCBG T-shirt from Spears.

The items will be featured in a special holiday catalog on Shop@AOL and through eBay.

MARIAH CAREY

Mariah Carey will appear on "The Late Show with David Letterman" Tuesday. It's her first visit to the CBS show in three years.

Last week, Carey -- who has been on a European tour to promote her first film, "Glitter," and its accompanying soundtrack -- performed for U.S. troops in Kosovo in a USO-sponsored trip to the Balkans. Last Tuesday, her latest album, "Mariah Carey's Greatest Hits," was released.

The singer will headline the CBS special "A Home for the Holidays with Mariah Carey" on Dec. 21 (8-9 p.m. ET/PT). She'll be joined by Destiny's Child, teen soprano Charlotte Church, Latin pop star Enrique Iglesias and singer Mandy Moore.

JINGLE BALL

Sugar Ray, Shaggy and Jessica Simpson will perform this Friday at Jingle Ball, a concert benefiting Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Bay Area. The concert will also include performances by Aaron Carter, Christina Milian and Crystal Waters as well as video appearances by the Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez.

Jingle Ball is being held at the Compaq Center in San Jose, Calif.

CAJUN MUSIC TRIBUTE

Linda Ronstadt and John Fogerty are among the artists who sing in French on a new album paying tribute to Cajun music, due out March 5. Produced by Cajun scholar and musician Ann Savoy, "Evangeline Made: A Tribute to Cajun Music" also includes Nick Lowe, country's Rodney Crowell and Patty Griffin.