Idol Chatter & Voice Views

We got a guest appearance from Demi Lovato. With a couple of guest critiques tossed in for good measure.

We got a glimpse of Terry Bradshaw. Plus a glimpse of the Hall of Fame quarterback playing guitar.

We got a gruff-voiced Harry Connick Jr., sitting in his judge’s seat and behaving much more like a judge than a week ago.

What we didn’t get for most of the night was the moment Jennifer Lopez kept begging the contestants for.

Then Jena Irene Asciutto took the stage.

And magic happened.

The recap …

Best of the night: Is there any doubt? I mean, the Idols as a group were pretty solid Wednesday night. But it all seemed like a long slow tease once Jena Irene sat down behind her piano and launched into Radiohead’s “Creep.” She delivered it with emotion. She did a wonderful job of creating momentum within the song. More than anything else, she delivered a wonderful, wonderful vocal, full of nuance and power. Perhaps my favorite performance so far in Season 13.

Runner-up: Caleb Johnson with his show-opening version of “Family Tree” by Kings of Leon. After slowing things down last week, Caleb rocked the Idol stage. At this point in the competition, too many of the remaining Idols simply have trouble cutting loose on the Idol stage. That’s never a problem with Caleb. He flourishes in the limelight.

Worst of the night: There weren’t any real stinkers to be honest, but I was probably least moved by Sam Woolf’s “Sail Away.” You could tell he was trying to pour more feeling into the performance. Problem is, there just isn’t anything very distinctive about his voice, and there weren’t many frills to make that performance stand out.

Please keep her: Jess Meuse might have the second best voice on this show after Jena Irene. But she just seems incapable of pouring heart and soul into a performance. “Gunpowder and Lead” is a Miranda Lambert song that needs to be delivered with vengeance. Jess strolled around the stage delivering a nice vocal, but where was the edge that song needs?

Comeback kid: C.J. Harris delivered his best performance in weeks — perhaps his best since the finals started — when he performed John Mayer’s “Gravity.” He probably scored a few votes for noting his pride in getting to sing in front of the young son he hadn’t gotten to see for five months, too. With his son present, those persistent pitch problems that haunted C.J. seemed to disappear … for that song at least.

The duets: Wish the sound mix would have been better, because Caleb and Jena sure rocked The Rolling Stones “Gimme Shelter.” Unfortunately, it sounded like the band was playing a different song, or else totally out of sync. Oh, and Harry’s critique of the Alabama trio of Jess, Dexter Roberts and C.J. Harris was right on — the performance lacked spark and those harmonies … well, let’s just say maybe they shouldn’t really be a trio.

Quote of the night from the judges: Harry to Jena, after her performance: “I think you did some major damage tonight.”

Thursday’s bottom three should be: Jess Meuse, C.J. Harris and Sam Woolf, with C.J. going home. Sorry, one solid performance can’t wipe out weeks of weak ones.

Thursday bottom three will be: Jess Meuse, C.J. Harris and Sam Woolf, with C.J. going home. Sam has been the teachers’ pet on Idol, and I think it will buy him another week on the show.