American Idol: Croon and swoon

Well thank goodness for standards night. I love this theme night because it challenges singers to sing a song that has been sung a million times before by a million different artists. You can play a little with it to make it your own but overall there's not much wiggle room and as a result, the audience gets a chance to see how you compare to the greats. It also makes for some good listening and last night did not disappoint.

Here are my thoughts:

Singer: Blake Lewis

Song: Mack the Knife

Rants & raves: Blake started the song and, for the first time, looked a bit out of his comfort zone. As soon as he got an opportunity to show off his happy feet, his vocals warmed up as well and the song ended very strongly. He's definitely one of the top performers of the group even if he's far from being the best singer.

Phil Stacey

Night & Day

I thought Phil had good control of this song but the slower version didn't do it for me. Tony Bennett was right to advise Phil to speed it up and give it some pep. He didn't and as a result, it was a bit of a meandering performance that didn't connect with viewers.

I've Got Rhythm

A smoky and smokin' start that turned into a four-alarm fire. Great song choice as it showed off her controlled down-tempo prowess as well as a knack for singing a song with a beat. Mindy Doo sparkled yet again.

Chris Richardson

Don't Get Around Much Anymore

Nice bluesy, R&B treatment of this standard. He was a very realistic modernization of the Rat Pack from his performance to his outfit (I loved the suspenders). It was all-around "cool."

Jordin Sparks

On a Clear Day

Good performance although it did feel "old." I'll admit that I was hoping for a peppier number from Jordin - something like "Jeepers Creepers" that would enlighten a whole new generation to swing.

Gina Glocksen

Smile

You knew this night was going to be a challenge for Gina. As the resident rocker, one isn't too inclined to go from Evanescense and the Pretenders to Frank and Tony (although Rod Stewart engineered a major comeback doing just that). But for crap's sake, if you're going to sing a standard, lose the rocker apparel. Gina could have put on a nice black dress that wouldn't have damaged her street cred too badly and would have fared a little better than she did. Aside from the poor clothing choice, her vocal showed how out of her league she is against the remaining girls and left her very vulnerable tonight.

Sanjaya Malakar

Cheek to Cheek

Who is this guy? I kept asking myself that as I watched Sanjaya's performance. Hey, he believes in himself and that's great. Everyone should have a healthy dose of self confidence. But Sanjaya has become a caricature of the young man that entered this competition. I'm not sure he's even taking himself seriously anymore. Years from now, he will look back at this performance and realize that he comes off like a sleazy gigolo. Even Frank Sinatra would have called in his mob connections to send a hit man out after this showing.

Haley Scarnato

Ain't Misbehavin'

Standards night came just in time for this girl. Clearly, she has a voice better suited to show tunes than CDs. It was a decent performance that showed off her assets and I think, earned her a ticket to some mediocre Broadway show when she exits Idol.

Lakisha Jones

Stormy Weather

Lakisha didn't fare as well as Melinda. That's song choice. "Stormy Weather" is a great song and a good option for her big pipes. But it's a slow song that doesn't allow her to show personality as well. Lakisha needs to find a fun song that she can click with if she hopes to get ahead of Melinda.

Top performances: Melinda Doolittle, Chris Richardson

Most likely to go home: Phil Stacey or Gina Glocksen

TELL US: Do you have a favorite performance from last night? Who's going home?

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