American Idol: Lee DeWyze Kills

Can you tell what I'm getting at with the title of this post? No? Maybe it will become clearer as we review together your top ten American Idol contenders on R&B night, starting, for a change, with the absolute best.

1. Lee DeWyze killed. He sang Treat Her Like a Lady by The Cornelius Brothers, a fine song delivered with driving soul by the great Lee DeWyze. The judges, along with this week's mentor Usher, were stunned.

2. Andrew Garcia lacks a big voice, but it is distinctive. He redeemed himself from all charges of mediocrity tonight with his sincere, light R&B delivery of Forever by Chris Brown. The judges loved him and were pleased for him that he did so well. I've been a fan of his all along, and I also loved his mother's performance when she stormed the stage to scold Simon for saying that her son has no personality (not true).

3. I toyed with putting Casey James ahead of Crystal Bowersox this time, but she really did a fine and soulful job with Midnight Train to Georgia by Gladys Knight and the Pips. The judges loved her with Simon adding that she seemed uncomfortable. I don't know why she is beginning to leave me cold. Maybe she is too consistent. She doesn't seem quite real to me, more like a big beautiful wind-up doll.

4. I have not been a fan of Casey James, but I loved his blusey rendition of Hold on I'm Coming by Sam & Dave. Randy and Simon liked him a lot but the ladies were lukewarm. I was unimpressed with his guitar work this time.

5. This time around, Mike Lynche was restrained, but I found his rendition of India. Arie's Ready for Love to be pretty but kind of boring. He tried to take Usher's advice to "really connect" with audience by sitting facing them with his back to the judges. That was weird. I still find him smarmy, but the judges loved him.

6. Katie Stevens gets no respect from the judges. I thought she made a bold choice and gave a credible performance of Chain of Fools by Aretha Franklin. She was very R&B; she even had R&B hair. The judges generally liked her, but Ellen beat her up with the senseless advice to be more youthful and current, and Simon called her cold and robotic (?). Girl can't win.

7. Sad to say, Siobhan Magnus was not among my top picks this week because her performance of Chaka Kahn's Through the Fire was unimpressive, high-pitched scream and all. She is getting a little predictable. The judges basically agreed. She also should stop trying so hard to look edgy. The prom dress with combat boots she wore a few weeks ago was her high point. Last night's outfit was incoherent. It's interesting that all the advice Usher had for her concerned her appearance.

8. I liked Aaron Kelly's Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers immortalized last season on Idol by Kris Allen. But it didn't stand out and of course suffered in comparison with Kris's version. The judges didn't love it or hate it. Simon compared him to a cupcake. Cute.

9. It was a toss up for the going home spot between Tim Urban and Didi Benami. As little as I liked Tim's performance, I have to say it was better than Didi's. He tried something different with Sweet Love by Anita Baker. His vocals weren't bad, but he had no R&B cred whatsoever. He took Usher's ubiquitous advice to "connect with the audience" very literally by aiming a scary, crazy- eyed stare into the camera throughout the whole song. The judges hated him, but as Simon said it doesn't matter. He has fans.

10. Bye bye Didi. You have so far given the two worst performances on American Idol this (or any) season with Stand By Me and last night with the annoying What Becomes of the Broken Hearted originally sung by Jimmy Ruffin. And that includes Paige Miles. The tempo was off, as was the tune. It was an embarrassing, stumbling performance and the judges rightly hated it. And guess what? I don't care about your tears and emotions. I don't want to know.

Did you all hate Didi too? By the way, if you're reading this you must already know, but just in case you don't, the American Idol performances are usually available the day after on YouTube, as are the original versions. I just listened to Jimmy Ruffin. Not my favorite song, but a masterpiece compared with Did's version.

American Idol: The Tour Elimination, 11 to 10

After tonight's elimination, the ten remaining competitors will be part of the American Idol Tour this summer. This is a big deal, as Judge Simon reiterated last night: it means a paycheck and big exposure. So who will be going home?

11. My pick for elimination this week has to coincide with everyone else's, but note that many predictions for this season have already been dead wrong. While I didn't hate her as much as the judges did, Paige Miles singing Phil Collins' Against All Odds really wasn't on tune throughout most of her performance. But she tried. She lost the smile and showed emotion. Too bad, but as Billboard said, "Cute shoes, though."

10. If Paige Miles had performed better, I would really be wishing for Tim Urban's elimination. He sang Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen (!?) in the most pandering manner possible, and came off as if he were in a high school talent show. Simon said that he needs singing lessons if he plans to stay in the competition. But young girl voters are likely to keep him around for the tour.

9. Andrew Garcia made a bit of a mess out of Marvin Gaye's I Heard it Through the Grapevine. His voice was ok, but he was a little choppy vocally and more than awkward in his movements. He looked cute in his rehearsal hat though. The judges didn't mention his hat, but they hated his performance.

8. As usual, I didn't think Katie Stevens was bad. She sang Fergie's Big Girls Don't Cry, and she tried to rock out in a youthful way. Her voice sounded strained to me, and I realized that she is not that good vocally. The judges were lukewarm, with Kara saying that Katie had found her niche and Simon saying the opposite.

7. Casey James, a decent singer and guitarist, is slipping in my opinion. He is too low key of a performer, veering close to dullness. He definitely should have been on his feet and moving during The Power of Love by Huey Lewis. Again Kara and Simon disagreed: Kara - "You're in the zone." Simon - "No originality." As usual, I agree with Simon.

6. Aaron Kelly gave a good but forgettable performance of I Don't Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith. He is rising in my opinion, and the judges all liked him.

5. The judges all hated Didi Benami's performance of You're No Good by Linda Ronstadt. I didn't think it was that bad. It was strong and dramatic, almost loungey, but it rose above that level to me. I think that Didi, with her stink-face, will be going on tour.

4. Surprise! I liked Mike Lynche's performance of Michael Bolton's When a Man Loves a Woman. I thought it was very classic R&B with beautiful vocals, although maybe a bit overdone at the end (except for the falsetto). However, the judges criticized him for the same indulgent cheesiness that I have been noticing all along, except for last night.

But that's what I love about American Idol. You can never predict who will emerge as the best or worst. It has to do more with character and perseverance rather than pure vocal talent.

3. Crystal Bowersox is clearly a very good performer, but she is not growing on me. She is also not Janis, and I don't think she should ever sing another of her songs. I think the judges overloved her rendition of Me and Bobby McGee, one of Janis' worst songs. She had a weak beginning and a shout out at the end that kind of came from nowhere. That said, she is still one of the best in the contest, but she needs to show more versatility.

2. Siobhan Magnus also needs to stop screaming. But she is still a great performer and her take on Stevie Wonder's Superstition was wonderful. I love the way she fearlessly takes on the greats like Stevie and Aretha and succeeds. That is the kind of character that makes a winner.

1. I am hopelessly in love with Lee DeWyze's unpretentious performances. He tried something different this time in his take on The Letter by the Box Tops led by the recently deceased Alex Chilton. He jazzed it up with necklaces and a suit, and looked good and sounded great doing it. The readers and bloggers over at Buddy TV don't seem to like him as much a s I do, but what do they know?

By the way, Miley Cyrus as mentor? A peculiar choice, but she did a better job than I expected. I liked the way she talked to Siobhan Magnus, as if she were an equal, and I liked the way Crystal Bowersox talked to her, as if she weren't a kid. But I was disturbed by the coarseness of her manner and appearance and got a flash of Lindsay Lohan. I will bite my tongue for saying that.

American Idol: The Final 12

Last week American Idol was a terrible shock for me. I thought Lilly Scott and Alex Lambert were two of the most promising contestants, and I liked Katelyn Epperly as well. I can't believe they were voted off. This week was hard for me in a different way, because I love the Rolling Stones, arguably the best rock and roll band ever to exist, perhaps even to this day. With every song of the Rolling Stones songbook, especially those done by less than worthy performers, I heard the Stones in my mind, making the performances sound even worse. With that true confession out of the way, here is my list for this week, worst first.

12. Tim Urban What was that mess he made out of Under my Thumb, one of the most hostile and aggressive songs ever written? With his weak voice, he tried to sing it as a jolly and romantic Reggae song? What? The judges hated it as much as I did. Get out now. Goodbye.

11. Lacey Brown, inevitably paired with Tim as the worst, although sadly only one can go home this week. She didn't get the mystery of Ruby Tuesday but only parroted the lyrics and tune. As Simon said, she acted it.

10. Andrew Garcia picked a hard song to sing in Gimme Shelter. The song was too much for his voice, and his performance lacked flow. The judges didn't hate it, but didn't like it much either.

9. Katie Stevens gave a controlled performance of Wild Horses, a haunting song that was a little too much for her. Her voice didn't sound great. I still think she has promise as a singer, and the judges liked her, but I don't think she'll go far in the contest.

8. The judges loved Casey James' performance of It's All Over Now, but I disagreed. I liked his performance in part, but he countrified the song (never good in my book) and, like Andrew, lacked flow.

7. Paige Miles's version of Honky Tonk Woman wasn't bad. She showed a lot of spirit and had a feeling for the original. But she was a little awkward. The judges like her big voice and liked this performance.

6. I'm trying to be objective about Michael Lynche, but I really dislike him. He picked the worst, lamest, and most forgettable Rolling Stone song, Miss You, and sang it as an R&B number. All of the judges but Simon loved it. Simon called it at little cheesy and desperate; he nailed it. Last week one of the bloggers (I forget who) described Lynche's performances as "point and preen." That nails it as well.

5. Didi Benami gave a dramatic, slowed down performance of Play With Fire, which was a good song choice for her. I thought it was a little slick, but good over all. The judges agreed that it was a solid performance.

4. Aaron Kelly surprised me with his solid performance of Angie, a great song choice for him. He seemed mature and assured. Simon correctly observed that he picked the right song for his vocal limitations, although I thought he was in great voice.If only he could look a little older.

3. Crystal Bowersox disappointed me a little this week with her performance of You Can't Always Get What You Want. She did convey the spirit of the original, but all the judges agreed that it wasn't her best performance.

2. I love Lee Dwyze's voice. Beast of Burden is a wonderful song, but an unambitious choice. Nevertheless, I could listen to Lee's unpretentious, authentic singing all day long. All the judges loved it, but Simon thought that the performance didn't shine. I can sort of see why he said that, but I don't agree.

1. Siobhan Magnus killed with her dramatic and fearless performance of Paint It Black. She channeled Mick Jagger, but delivered the song in her own way. The judges were just as bowled over as I was.

American Idol Third Elimination: 16 to the final 12

This is a big week for American Idol. It ends in the naming of the final 12 competitors, to be announced Thursday night. Imagine my despair when my DVR failed me on Tuesday night. That's right. I didn't get to the see the women perform. I did catch the men on Wednesday, but everyone gave such good performances that I am in serious doubt about my picks to go home. So today, I'll refer to my fellow American Idol bloggers to find a consensus on who was best, who was worst, and who will be eliminated.

My favorite American Idol site, Buddy TV, polled its readers' comments and its own experts, coming up with slightly different lists from each source. Everyone agrees, however, that Paige Miles (pictured) will be one of the women going home. The pick for the other woman due to be voted off was split among Katelyn Epperly, Lacey Brown, and Katie Stevens. I hope it's Lacey Brown. Apparently she gave a good performance on Tuesday, but I just don't think she is a relevant performer in the current pop music scene. Neither is Katie Stevens, but I think she has a place in the nostalgia/American Songbook market.

The Wall Street Journal (a blog I hadn't seen before today) picked Paige and Katie Stevens for the off. Idol Blog Live actually did my job and summarized the picks of 10 critics from all around the net. Seven out of 10 bloggers picked Paige and 6 out of 10 picked Katie. It might go without saying, but Vote for the Worst named Paige Miles as worst girl. Sot it looks like Paige Miles and Katie Stevens are going home, although I'm still hoping for Lacey.

As for the boys: Buddy TV readers are split among Todrick Hall, Andrew Garcia, and Aaron Kelly (pictured), but they and the Buddy TV critics agree on Todrick and Aaron. To complicate matters, Vote for Worst picks Tim Urban. The Yahoo music blog, Reality Rocks, also picked Tim Urban to go home and paired him with Andrew Garcia. EW's Pop Watch agreed about Aaron Kelly and Andrew Garcia.

Apart from Aaron Kelly, who gets the most mentions as the loser this week, picking the worst guy seems a hard choice. Based on what I saw last night, I pick Andrew Garcia for the second off. I like his voice, but I think he gave the weakest performance. He seemed strained and uncomfortable. I don't think that Tim Urban and Toderick Hall will last too long in the competition, but it seems like Andrew's turn to go home this week. Aaron, on the other hand, gave a good performance, pretty mature for 16. But someone has to go.

As with the girls' Lacey Brown, who I don't think will last, I love to hate Michael Lynche, who might make it far this year, although I don't see him as the winner. I can't see why the judges all went insane over him last night. He still seems insincere to me, although he is skilled at acting as though he feels his performances, and he does have a good voice. But the contest is not just about vocal ability. His movements seemed as if he worked them out carefully before hand ("on this note I'll stomp, and here I'll turn around") but tried to make them look spontaneous. At one point I caught him looking at the camera out of the corner of his eye, as if to catch his reflection. Maybe he'll grow on me.

Etta At Last

What a strong, clear voice. The album At Last apparently represents Chess Records' attempt to propel Etta James into the pop mainstream. It opens on "Anything to Say You're Mine" with lush violins, but Etta's first note is full of soul. She wails this song. The next song, "My Dearest Darling", has a strong country tinge. "A Sunday Kind of Love" is pure jazz. "I Just Want to Make Love to You, " of course, could not be more bluesy, growl and all. Etta James reminds me of Ray Charles in being an accomplished and convincing performer in all styles. At Last Made #116 on the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Albums.

While she is often classified as an R&B singer, she is equally good at rock, blues, and jazz. In an article in Rolling Stone Bonnie Raitt wrote “ Anybody who has a bluesy side...can point to Etta James as the bridge between R&B, blues, and pop singing.”

Born Jamsetta Hawkins in Los Angeles on January 25, 1938, James began singing solos in church at the age of five. By the time she was 14, James had formed a singing group, the Creolettes, with two other girls. In 1955, when she was 17, two of her songs, recorded on the Modern Records label, become top ten R&B hits.

By the late 1950s, James' career was lagging until a lucky break brought her to Chicago. Here, she drew the attention of Leonard Chess, founder of Chess Records which had been gaining recognition for recording such artists as Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley. With producer Jerry Wexler, James recorded a series of successful jazz and soul hits for Chess and its subsidiary Argo. James’ relationship with Chess Records and its founder is covered in the film Cadillac Records which features Beyonce in a great performance as Etta James.

James’ personal life was out of control by the time she was 21, when she became addicted to heroin. She did go on to produce Call My Name, a well-received blues album and to record “I’d Rather Go Blind" an incredible R&B ballad. In 1974, she entered a drug rehabilitation program in Los Angeles.

After this she pulled her life together and went on to tour and record, becoming recognized as an R&B legend. She received two awards from the NAACP in 1990 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. In 2003 she received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked her #62 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Early this year, 2010, Etta James at age 72 was hospitalized for sepsis following a urinary tract infection, according to her son, Donto James. She was also treated for dependence on painkillers. As of early March, the time of this writing, she is still hospitalized in Los Angeles, but hopes to eventually return to performing.

Etta James at Niles library
Blues to the Bone Her Best
Let’s Roll Deep in the Night
Blue Gardenia Time After Time
Matriarch of the Blues Mystery Lady
At Last! Rocks the House
Heart of a Woman all in Blues & Jazz
Life, Love and the Blues

(all selections in Blues & Jazz)

Here is Etta James performing her well known ballad, "At Last."

Sources (all online): Rolling Stone Magazine, "100 Greatest Artists of All Time"

All About Jazz, "Etta James, Vocalist"

Wikipedia, "Etta James"

Allmusic "Etta James"

Urban Mecca.com

American Idol Second Elimination: 20 to 16

Before rating Tuesday night's boys' performances, I just have to say a word about the judging. Why is Ellen Degeneres a judge? Her comments are so tentative and bumbling, her humor is so flat, and her ideas are completely generic and derivative of the others' comments. She doesn't seem to have an idea in her head. Oppositely, I have come to value Kara DioGuardi. Her comments make sense to me and she has authority in that she is a music producer and song writer. Does Kara agree with me about the boy rankings for this week? I don't know, but as always, I have my opinions. PS: Last week I only got one out of four right.

The performances are ranked from worst to best. In a fair world, the worst would be voted off, but it doesn't always happen that way. I still predict that the first two in each list will get the boot.

10. John Park sang Gravity by John Mayer and made it boring to the nth degree. Sorry Northbrook. If he stays, it's only because he's cute.

9. Jermaine Sellers is not as cute. He slaughtered What's Going On by the great Marvin Gaye. There wasn't much song left after he pulled out all of his vocal falsettos and other tricks.

8. Tim Urban, current Vote for the Worst poster boy, sang Come On Get Higher by Matt Nathanson. He was much better than last week, but still lacked charisma, distinction, and a good voice. Ellen gave her only good advice of the night: get a job on Glee.

7. Todrick Hall, What's Love Got to Do With It by Tina Turner. What? Dramatic but self indulgent with weak vocals. He gets credit for trying something different.

6. Aaron Kelly destroyed the delightful My Girl by the Temptations by adding countless vocal runs. He is only 16 years old, and it shows.

5. Michael Lynche gave a good, professional performance of This is a Man's World by James Brown. But unlike the judges and all the other American Idol bloggers, I don't like him. I think there is something fake about him. He is an actor, and I feel that he is acting his performances.

4. But I love Alex Lambert (pictured above), who sang Everybody Knows by John Legend. He has a distinctive voice and style, and a lot of sincerity.

3. Andrew Garcia has taken a lot of flack for his recent performances. The judges criticize him whatever he does. I think he has a great voice and a lot of restrained soul, although he was a little stiff. He sang You Give Me Something by James Morrison.

2. Likewise, Casey James, who played guitar and sang I Don't Want to Be by Gavin McGraw, was inexplicably slammed by the judges. His guitar playing was great, and I liked his voice. He performs with understated authority.

1. I have fallen hard for Lee DeWyze. He sang Lips of an Angel by Hinder, and is no longer a dark horse. His vocals this time reminded me of Eddie Vedder. He is an authentic artist.

Top Ten Girls

There were a lot of outstanding girls' performances on Wednesday night.

10. Unfortunately, Haeley Vanghn's wasn't one of them. She sang The Climb by Mikey Cyrus, and the judges hated it as much as I did. Haeley is the girl pick on Vote for the Worst. At 16, she is simply not ready for this competition, if she will ever be.

9. Didi Benami is a more interesting and competent singer than Haeley Vaughn, but her performance of Lean on Me by Bill Withers was excruciating both vocally and rhythmically. Maybe she has potential, but if she could be this bad, she deserves to go home.

8. Lacey Brown, singing Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer, was bouncy and better than last week, but kind of generic and forgettable.

7. Katie Stevens to me, is an interesting performer. She is only 17, but seems made to sing torchy old ballads of the 1940s and 50s. The judges want her to be youthful though, so she sang Put Your Records On by Corinne Bailey Rae in a meh performance.

6. Michelle Delamore competently performed With Eyes Wide Open by Creed, a risky choice. She did very well, but she just isn't that lovable.

5. Paige Miles, a more likable performer, rocked out with Walk Away by Kelly Clarkson, a song written by Kara DioGuardi. I though she was a little shouty, but good.

4. Here is where it gets difficult, because the remaining performers were all great. Katelyn Epperly played piano and gave an intense, drawn out performance of The Scientist by Coldplay. In a lesser field, she would have stood out more. The judges criticized her for being too versatile, which I don't quite get.

3. Lilly Scott. I love her. She gave an offbeat, distinctive, and moving performance of one of my favorite songs, A Change is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke.

2. Siobhan Magnus (pictured above). Could this girl be any more quirky and interesting? She gave a fearless belt out of Think by Aretha Franklin, in the style of Aretha Franklin. It was wonderful.

1. Crystal Bowersox is the girls' Lee DeWyze. She played guitar and sang Long as I Can See the Light by CREEDENCE. It was an authentic and stunning performance, organically felt.

We will post the eliminations on the signs in the AV area on the first floor. Check us out and see if I got it right.