American Idol Visits the Rat Pack Era

Ah, the Rat Pack era. Those long ago days in Vegas when the crooners really knew how to croon. And who would the mentor be on this nostalgic day? As Kris said, "All those guys in the Rat Pack... they're dead." True. So it was a little surprising when who should walk through the mansion door but... Jamie Foxx???

At first, he seemed like an odd choice. Yes, he won an Oscar portraying Ray Charles, but when it comes to his own music, he's an R&B artist. Well, Jamie pleasantly surprised me. The comments he had for the contestants were right on and seemed to help. And here's how things went...

KRIS - The Way You Look Tonight - When Kris started out, all I could think of was "smooth." He's got such a rich, mellow tone to his voice. And I love the way his jaw juts off to the side when he hits the power notes. I wasn't crazy about the tempo change in the middle of the song. I would have preferred if he kept it in a slow groove, but he still did a great job.

ALLISON - Someone To Watch Over Me - This may have been my favorite Allison performance to date. She hit just the right combination of being true to herself and catching the vibe of the song. And she looked fabulous! In my opinion, the now seventeen-year-old nailed it last night.

MATT - My Funny Valentine - Oh, Matt. I expected so much from you. And you almost delivered. But some of the runs fell flat. Even though it was a good performance, it didn't stand up against everyone else.

DANNY - Come Rain or Come Shine - Finally, the Danny we know and love is back! Even though his performances have been very good, they've lacked a little something the last few weeks. But last night, Danny crooned with the best of them. I particularly liked the end of the song. In this case, upping the tempo worked in a big, big way.

ADAM - Feeling Good - It'll just be redundant if I say I love Adam, so I'll control myself. This is one of those songs that you hear a million times during the audition process, so I wasn't all that excited when I heard he was singing it. BUT, as always, he put his own spin on it, making it fresh and unique. And has there ever been a better entrance down that staircase? I think not.

BEST LINE OF THE NIGHT - From Simon, in response to Randy saying that Adam was a little too theatrical: "That's like complaining that a cow moos. It's who he is."

GUESS WHAT I DID FOR THE FIRST TIME LAST NIGHT? I voted! Yeah, I know, as much as I write about this show, you'd think I was a voter, but I'm not. However, I felt strongly enough last night to pick up my cell and call in my vote for Adam. I only got through once, but at least I did my part :+}

WE BID A FOND FAREWELL TO... Matt. I think he and Allison will end up in the bottom two, but I believe Matt will be the one to go.

What do you think?