We'll Be The Judge of That! - American Idol 6, April 3

How did the Idols perform? By now, you’ve read the recap over on RealityNewsOnline, so you know what Randy, Paula, Simon, and Betsy think. But what do our judges – Sandy Lamparello, Tyler Sandersfeld, Bruce Barker, and Kathy Lonergan - have to say?

David Bloomberg he has taken a week off from Idol to try and figure out what the hell America is thinking. For more information, check out his prediction article this week.

Blake Lewis, “Mack the Knife”

Sandy: Great song choice! My father used to play this song all the time when I was growing up. Blake sounded really good but at first I thought the performance was too laid back (for lack of a better term). However, Blake really turned it on and finished with a bang. I loved it!

Tyler: How can Blake Lewis wow the crowd without beatboxing? That’s how! His vocal, while not perfect, was his purest of the season. The dancing was probably the best I’ve ever seen on this show. Going first is always a vote-drainer, and Blake did everything he could to plug it up. I say he did. Vocals: 21. Performance: 13. Other: 7. TOTAL: 41.

Bruce: Let me apologize in advance for some of my comments. This is the music I was weaned on and first learned to play. I’ve been listening to this genre of music for my entire life and as a result I’m deeply opinionated. I wouldn’t blame those of you who are too young to know most of the songs for skipping my comments entirely this week. But I’m gonna comment anyway, so here goes. I’m still trying to figure out how the most contemporary performer in Idol history managed to suck all the coolness out of this classic tune, but Blake pulled it off. While I’m glad he didn’t break it down into a hip hop rhythm, I wish he’d kept in some of the natural scat and bebop that blessed the original song with such a unique Jersey swagger. 7

Kathy: Before I comment on Blake’s ensemble, I just have to mention that Paula looks like a gondolier. Is she moonlighting at the Venetian in Vegas? OK, onto Blake: He looked great, though I wish he would have buttoned his jacket down to the bottom—it was very distracting. As for the actual performance, I felt it was a perfect song choice for him. He seemed comfortable, increasingly so as he went along. The song’s key was right in his comfort zone, and as always, he added his own twist to keep it interesting. This was a great way to kick off Tony Bennett week.

Phil Stacey, “Night and Day”

Sandy: Wow, Phil sounded great! His voice was so smooth it gave me chills. I wasn’t a fan of Phil at first but he’s really stepped up the past few weeks and shown how talented he really is. I don’t care what the judges said, I really liked it!

Tyler: Phil sucked. Blood. Probably. I mean, he really looked like a vampire tonight. Once again, Phil hit the big notes, but completely lacked life, just like a vampire. Following Blake is akin to garlic, and performing so early is like sunlight. This performance was simply the stake that could end it all for him tomorrow. Vocals: 18. Performance: 9. Other: 4. TOTAL: 31.

Bruce: For just a moment Frank Sinatra was reborn and Mario Lanza lived again. Phil’s voice swelled and receded like ocean waves on a warm summer night. I’ve heard the song performed better, but not in many, many years. The arrangement needed a bit more horn to keep the punch in the melody, but Phil’s vocal was timeless and perfect. 10

Kathy: Once again, I think Phil’s vocals were woefully underappreciated by the onsite judges. While they remarked about his delivery, no one commented on how beautiful Phil’s tone was. Last week. I felt Phil had the strongest vocal among the male contestants, and I will stand by that claim this week as well. And while we’re on the subject of Phil’s delivery, I didn’t find it dull, dark, depressing, or any other derogatory “d” words the judges threw out. I know that over the last few weeks, he’s been predicted by many to leave, but I sure hope that isn’t the case considering what strong performances Phil has given these past 2 weeks. I think Phil was great, and both my husband and I thought he sounded like a young Sinatra—without seeming like it was an imitation. God help me, I’m agreeing with Paula again. Armageddon is upon us!

Melinda Doolittle, “I Got Rhythm”

Sandy: WOW! Melinda really blew that one out of the water! She followed two good performances with an excellent performance! I wasn’t crazy about her dress but once again Melinda has stepped up and hit one out of the park. Here ends your cliché festival for this week…

Tyler: For the first half, SuperMelinda seemed like she was battling the maniacal Mr. Mxyzptlk (pronounced “SI-mon COW-ell”), and having just a little trouble. Then she got him to say his name backwards, and SuperMelinda proved herself to be the Singer of Steel once again. Another heroic performance! Vocals: 22. Performance: 13. Other: 9. TOTAL: 44.

Bruce: The band tore the song up! They were so tight that they left Melinda behind in a couple of places and that’s not an easy thing to do. Melinda herself scorched the second half of the song like a hot iron on a silk shirt. The lady is still the most impressive pure singer the show has seen in a very long time. 9

Kathy: First of all, props to the the stylist for finding a dress that made Melinda look more youthful. Though I wasn’t crazy about her hair, the outfit was great. And speaking of great, the vocal was just that—on pitch, great power, and loved the sauciness!

Chris Richardson, “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore”

Sandy: Chris sounded great too this week. The nasal quality to his voice was gone and there was a lot of personality in his performance. The guys are really stepping up this week! Very well done Chris!

Tyler: Well, at least with Chris Sligh gone, I can now call Chris Richardson just “Chris.” That being said, that squeaky tone that has turned me off before has been tamed dramatically and I liked that. The performance quality could have been better, but this is the first time I have actually enjoyed Chris’s vocal. Props for that! Vocals: 22. Performance: 11. Other: 6. TOTAL: 39.

Bruce: Sung in a deep bass voice the song becomes a smoky and sexy seduction. Sung in a pure tenor, the vocal rides above the melody like a feather in the wind. Chris chose a middle tenor key and was neither sexual nor light. The result was a vocal kitten in a tiger costume. It might look impressive, but it had no real teeth. 7

Kathy: The good: He looked spiffy and worked the stage well. The bad: the bottom fell out on his low notes, and his vibrato was reedy. The ugly: He’ll be back while a better singer will leave.