Tonight's Idol report

After the departure of Chris Sligh, who has now admitted what I had observed, i.e, his heart hasn't been in it for weeks, the Idols did jazz standards tonight. Tony Bennett ran the masters' class.

What was unique tonight was that Sanjaya didn't suck. He wasn't good, by any means, but he was certainly not as hideous as he has been in the past - and he was (shockingly) entertaining.

What was not unique tonight was the lower-tier singers continuing to sing flat, pitchwise, and in too low of a key.

I disagreed with the judges just about every time they were critical. There were no instances of constructive criticism, just inane yammering. I expect better from Simon, at least, if not from the other two stooges.

Blake: "Mack the Knife". Too syrupy for my taste. Flat (pitch) in places. The band carried him. Mediocre. Nice dance moves, though. Safe this week.

Phil: "Night and Day". I felt he did it well - on pitch, on rhythm, good interpretation, understated. Judges disagree with me. Phil will be in the bottom two.

Chris: "Don't Get Around Much Anymore". I prefer the original version of this song to his, however, he did interpret it in a modern way and it worked. Still flat in places, as usual. Safe this week.

Melinda: "I Got Rhythm". Wonderful! She did the little-heard introduction slowly, then revved right into the fast chorus. Perfect pitch, and a nice finish as well. Top score.

Sanjaya: "Dancing Cheek To Cheek". As I said, he didn't suck. White tux, slicked hair. Went into the audience and danced with Paula and didn't miss more than one note while he did it. The media have been on a "It's OK to like Sanjaya" kick lately. He won't be in the bottom three this week (just like last week).

Gina: "Smile". I couldn't find a beat during this song, but apparently, she did. I blame the band and she overcame it. Good, but not real memorable. Weird wardrobe choice. Safe.

Haley: "Ain't Misbehavin'". Nice dress. Sang flat for most of the song. Moved around too much and got out of breath a bit. She's trying too hard and has been this way for weeks now. I put her in the bottom three, and probably send her home this week.

Jordin: "On a Clear Day". Hard song. Not normally a crowd-pleaser. She nailed it and made it into much more than it deserves. Perfect performance, LOOOOOOOOOONG high note at the end in perfect pitch and volume. I put her a tiny bit behind Melinda.

LaKisha: "Stormy Weather". This is cheating, and she shouldn't have been allowed to do this one. Too easy for her. She did it just like you would expect her to - which makes it unremarkable. Third place.

Top of the charts:
1. Melinda
2. Jordin
3. LaKisha

Middle of the road:
4. Gina
5. Blake
6. Sanjaya

Bottom three:
7. Chris
8. Phil
9. Haley

I'm predicting Haley's legs won't be around much anymore.