American Classics For American Idol
The American Idol contestants hit the stage this week singing American Classics. To sharpen their crooning skills, the Top 9 worked with the legendary Tony Bennett. Mr. Bennett implored the contestants to present straightforward singing minus any antics, and, for the most part, that's what they brought Tuesday night.

The It's Destiny! guest panelist this week is Eric from Cheektowaga, New York.

Following is the It's Destiny! panel's take on the AI6 Top 9: American Classics.

Blake Lewis "Mack The Knife"
Eric: Worked the stage and audience, pitchy in spots and needs to live in the moment and feel sentiment of song lyrics, concentrate less on beatboxing. Resembled Beaker from the Muppets tonight. LOL.
Destiny: I love Beaker, and I love Blake! Welcome, Eric. Nice to have you with us this week! I am much more enthused about Blake's performance than you were. His voice is so pleasing to the ear, and he can master several styles and come off as a cool cat whilst doing it. Even though this wasn't my favorite Blake performance ever, I still would buy the record and pay to see this in concert any day.
Score: 8.9
Tammy: Hey Eric! Welcome! I could eat up virtually any Blake performance with a spoon, but this wasn't his best. Despite the fact that he should be excelling in the jazzy genre, Blake seemed somewhat hesitant and nervous as he began, and didn't really take many liberties with the song (which wouldn't really be a criticism for anyone else, but c'mon Blake, you've set the bar high, my friend!), though he did seem to get into the swing of things as the song progressed. Overall: good, not great.
Score: 8.4
Liza: Beaker! Ha! What an entrance, Eric! I love it. I guess a Muppet comparison is appropriate for what I'm about to say. I thought the whole thing, from his omni-present faux-Brit accent when he sings to the ultra-Vegas cheese of the arrangement, was unintentionally hilarious. It was his worst performance to date.
Score: 7.0

Phil Stacey "Night and Day"
Eric: Looked great in appearance, vocal wasn't as great. Phil had a stiff delivery and seemed disconnected hit the big note and had a stronger finish. As a whole, weakest performance tonight. Lifeless and lackluster.
Destiny: I thought moments of this performance were vocally wonderful and so stylized. I do think he needs to loosen up a bit. He is an endearing character.
Score: 8.3
Tammy: Vocally, I quite enjoyed the performance, and thought that the song brought out a different tonal quality in his voice that he hadn't before shown on Idol. As Eric noted, Phil continues to struggle onstage, as his delivery was very restrained.
Score: 8.0
Liza: I'm with Simon on this one. The opening was so dreary that I did feel like I was at a funeral parlor. And Phil's looks don't help that imagery. He did have a different tonal quality, as you said, Tammy, but I felt like he was over-exaggerating those vocals to almost comical proportions at times. I do give him credit for being one of the only ones to dress the part tonight, but he should have found a hat.
Score: 6.5

Melinda Doolittle "I Got Rhythm"
Eric: Playful and strong delivery of performance, sang with strong emotion and conviction and was near flawlessness but did seem cabaret in the opening of song. Dress looked as though it had blood stains on it.
Destiny: Yikes, what an image! I liked the dress and thought it was the most flattering thing she's worn on the show thus far. Her vocals were good (as usual), though, contrary to Eric and the judges, I thought the performance was lacking and disconnected.
Score: 8.8
Tammy: Weighing in on the dress, I thought that the belted area was not very flattering at all. The beginning of the song did not wow me, but she really sold it, vocally and performance-wise. That said, I still don't think she'll sell all that many records, post-Idol. How on earth do you market her?
Score: 9.0
Liza: Seriously, where are her Gayles?! I agree that the opening wasn't so hot - the tempo was a bit funky - but she absolutely KILLED it at the end. She brought so many different layers to the song - sultry, bluesy, sassy, fun. I totally disagree with Destiny on the performance being disconnected. Melinda does an amazing job of connecting to the song and selling what she is singing to the audience.
Score: 9.25

Chris Richardson "Don't Get Around Much Anymore"
Eric: Especially liked opening silhouette of him on stage, good delivery but is too nasally still but liked hip and young vibe of song. Looks is the only JT comparison.
Destiny: I liked this performance from Chris. But, then again, I've liked every performance he's turned in thus far. Love the voice. Love the personality. Love the guy.
Score: 9.0
Tammy: It was an interesting blend of vintage and contemporary, both on the fashion front, and song-wise. I still think he needs to distinguish himself as something other than the JT clone. Because we already have one of those. Still, it was a good performance, and he should have no worries about heading home this week.
Score: 8.8
Liza: Interesting blend meaning no blend? I was kind of annoyed at Chris's lack of effort in going along with the theme tonight. I have this thing about sticking to the themes, and I love it when contestants really embrace the theme, as the Season 1 contestants did on Big Band night. Chris didn't dress the part or sound the part. Yes, he picked a standard song and kept the arrangement, but he sang it the same way he has his other songs. He sang it well, though, so I can't really complain with the praise. I'm starting to think he's The Chosen One this year. He got the pimp lighting, the tongue-bath and an early shock bottom 2. Hmm ...
Score: 8.0

Jordin Sparks "On A Clear Day"
Eric: Strong, confident, and awe-inspiring vocal. Sang on pitch and looked at ease on stage with soaring vocals. Delivered a strong and controlled playful performance. BEST OF THE NIGHT AWARD.
Destiny: I, too, loved Jordin this week. She has everything one could want in an Idol contestant: adorable looks, great style, shining personality, soaring vocals. I could go on, but I'll spare you. This was a good song choice delivered in a top-notch fashion. Go, girl!
Score: 9.4
Tammy: Jordin's vocals were indeed stunning. So clear and strong! I have issues with the song choice, but she certainly made the best of it. I also must take a firm stance against yet another horrid outfit from Jordin this week. Stacy and Clinton of What Not to Wear need to grab this girl and go over the rules with her. That block of white in her outfit should not be settled around her waist/hip area. Just no!
Score: 9.3
Liza: Don't forget the sneakers that were peering under her pants. Jordin has a beautiful voice, though. She also has some issues with breath control. Her gasps for air were highly distracting ... except on that last note. Holy glory note! Wow!
Score: 8.9

Gina Glocksen "Smile"
Eric: Nice controlled and sentiment value of song in delivery but I think should have lost the tongue ring for the genre/theme and was outsung by Jordin and Melinda. Somewhat lackluster and forgettable.
Destiny: I agree about the tongue ring. I wish she's just take it out altogether. I also did not care at all for her hair or makeup this week. That being said, her performance of this song was beautiful.
Score: 8.8
Tammy: WORD to the horrid hair and makeup! That helmet on her head made her look like she wandered off the set of the next Star Trek movie or something. Vocally, she did not really match up against her fellow female competitors. The outfit seemed like an odd choice for her song, as well. She doesn't have to be doing the 'rock chick' thing all the time.
Score: 8.1
Liza: Well, the judges put her in that rock box and won't let her out. What is a girl to do (other than take out the tongue ring so she can "pronunciate" better)? Gina looked like she got a daytime TV makeover (as Simon or Randy once said to Nikki McKibbin), and it did not look right on her at all. As for the performance, I thought she gave an appropriately understated vocal, but I thought she could have brought more emotion to the song and less mugging for the camera.
Score: 8.0

Sanjaya Malakar "Cheek To Cheek"
Eric: Came out with confidence and delivered a good vocal and looked great with suit and slicked back hair. Has potential with growth from week to week and has evolved into an entertainer. Just needs to let loose and belt out notes, but I really like Sanjaya, and feel for him as he has talent to have made Top 24, and Top 12 and now Top 10 Tour. Leave the poor kid alone. He has talent.
Destiny: I agree that Sanjaya has talent. And for the show to keep insinuating that he is preposterous only makes the judges look like idiots, since they are the ones who chose him out of thousands to be on the show. I did find this performance to be his weakest since his "You Really Got Me" coming of age on the Idol stage, but his vocals weren't bad.
Score: 7.5
Tammy: I agree with you both. The kid has talent and can entertain (though perhaps singing might not be his forte). Tonight he wasn't at his best, though. Uptempo songs seem to suit him better. Hopefully next week we get to see him tackle something more recent.
Score: 7.0
Liza: This may well be the performance that brings Sanjaya down. It was just okay, and he didn't do anything so outrageous that everyone's going to be talking about it tomorrow. Middle of the road is a dangerous thing, Mr. Malakar!
Score: 6.5

Haley Scarnato "Ain't Misbehaving"
Eric: Haley "Legs" Scarnato. Looked amazingly beautiful and good vocal performance. Haley is doing her homework in order to stay she has to show skin and legs as it is not only about singing and personality and showed nice playful movements throughout song.
Destiny: I think Haley went a little overboard in showing her skin this week. It seemed too contrived. This genre suits her cabaret voice, and she failed to show that off by focusing on her strut rather than her vocals this week. I am still kind of shocked that she made it this far.
Score: 7.8
Tammy: I wondered more about the time she put in at the gym more than her performance and vocal delivery. I hate the way she plays to the camera, rather than to the audience. She's not the only guilty party on Idol who does this, but it really grates, all the same.
Score: 7.0
Liza: Let's get the Paula comments out of the way: Haley looked gorgeous tonight. And boy did she play those looks up. The sex kitten act just reminded me of that episode of Gilligan's Island when Mary Ann thought she was Ginger. This was a pageant girl vamping it up in the talent competition. Her voice sounded good, though. It was actually audible tonight!
Score: 6.75

LaKisha Jones "Stormy Weather"
Eric: Amazing vocal, amazing look for Lakisha as she resembled someone from the era and genre of Standards. Believeable and sassy performance, vocals on point with pure, rich tone.
Destiny: I liked LaKisha on this song. She looked and sounded great. Wouldn't have been my first choice of song for her out of this theme, but she did it well.
Score: 8.8
Tammy: This is the best outfit that Lakisha has worn all season. She still needs to work on that hair, though. She sounded good, but her performances aren't really the kind that one looks forward to the way one does with Melinda (or Blake or...Sanjaya...heh).
Score: 8,4
Liza: I liked LaKisha's hair, actually. But I do agree with you, Tammy, that I'm not always waiting in anticipation for a LaKisha performance. And I do wonder what her deal is with her continual disregard of the mentors' advice. Tony Bennett was absolutely right - she should have just ended on that big glory note instead of adding in that "ain't no sunshine" part. Tsk tsk.
Score: 8.5

Who Should Be Eliminated:
Eric: Phil
Destiny: Haley
Tammy: Haley
Liza: Phil

Who Will BeEliminated:
Eric: Phil
Destiny: Phil
Tammy: Haley
Liza: Phil (all the judges were just rude enough to Haley that she'll be saved by sympathy votes)

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We asked you, "Who Is The Most Entertaining Contestant?"
41% Blake, 20% Melinda, 11% Jordin,
8% Chris R., 7% Haley, 6.5% Sanjaya,
2.5% Gina, 2.5% Chris S., 1% Phil, 0.5% LaKisha

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