Idol Chatter & Voice Views

If you listen to Randy Jackson, the male semifinalists decided Wednesday was the night they’d show they were every bit as good as the ladies.

Problem was, his comment came after the first solid male vocal of the night, delivered by Burnell Taylor. Five performances into the show.

Problem was, it was mostly a figment of Randy’s imagination.

Perhaps what he wished could have happened Wednesday night.

Here’s what really happened.

Burnell, Lazaro Arbos, Curtis Finch and Devin Velez salvaged the show.

The rest of the guys were not good.

They were so far from good, none of them are deserving of the finals.

They were so far from good, the Idol judges and producers should be huddling right now and discussing the wisdom of bending the rules.

Because sending some of the very talented females home and advancing a fifth guy after Tuesday’s performances would be an injustice.

On to the recap.

Best of the night: I did not like the song choice. But halfway through the tired ol’ “I Believe We Can Fly,” Curtis Finch Jr. took flight and started doing things to the song I’d never heard before. It was a little over the top. But it was over the top good. I’m not sure Curtis can win taking us to church every week. But on Tuesday, he delivered what was clearly the night’s best vocal.

Runner-up: I’ll admit, I find myself pulling for Lazaro Arbos. And was a little worried because his Top 40 performance was a little shaky. But he bounced back strong Wednesday, giving us a male take on “Feeling Good.” I especially liked the confidence he showed in the second half of the song when he walked away from the mike and even swaggered a little. He did not come off like a guy giving his second ever performance in front of a live audience.

Worst of the night: Once upon a time, I thought Cortez Shaw had the look, the experience and the vocal range to win this thing. No more. He’s delivered two straight clunkers. And clunker might be a kind word to describe what happened on the Idol stage Wednesday. Was a single note in the right key? Clearly, Cortez is not ready for prime time. Charlie Askew was equally off kilter. The difference is, Charlie didn’t come into the night as a front-runner. Cortez did.

Please keep him: Clearly Devin Velez hasn’t been listening to the emphasis Idol judges are putting on contestants seeming “current.” Current does not mean walking on stage and singing a song made popular by Perry Como and Elvis Presley. But the show is short on guys who can deliver vocally. And Devin has done that very well, two straight weeks. By the way, does he remind anyone else of Clay Aiken?

Baffled by the judges: Not really. Not Wednesday night. Oh, Mariah rambled a bit. Nicki launched into a “please give us a gospel album” tirade when Curtis stopped singing. But, all in all, the judges were on the mark. As much as I joke about his tired-old cliches, Randy was particularly on point, criticizing Elijah Liu for a performance that never got out of first gear, Paul Jolley for a disjointed effort filled with highs and lows and Vincent Powell for trying to do too much with his show-closing number. Very nice, Randy.

Lines of the night: Nicki to Charlie, when he showed up on stage looking like he had a date with Woodstock: “Last time I saw you, I wanted to cradle you in my arms. What happened? I feel like someone stole my kid … It’s like a darker thing. I’m upset.” At which point, Keith chimed in with: “From obsessed to upset.” When Curtis finished singing, Keith proclaimed: “We just had us a sermon in Vegas, baby. I believe you can fly, Curtis.”

Keep them: Four picks from Wednesday’s show are obvious — Curtis, Lazaro, Devin and Burnell need to advance. If I absolutely had to choose a fifth male, I’d probably take Vincent because he shows the most potential. Paul Jolley might be a wiser choice to provide the show with more diversity. The two biggest disappointments — Nick Boddington and Cortez — need to go. So does young Elijah.

For the song by song grades head here.

And check back in the morning for a photo gallery from the show.