American Idol Gets Jazzed Up

American Idol has been down-sized from seven contestants to five following last week's elimination. Many bloggers predict that Adam Lambert and Danny Gokey will be the final two contenders of the season. However, Kris Allen is a popular contestant and quite possibly may knock Danny right out of his spot. Matt Giraud seems to have grown more confident since his save a few weeks ago. Meanwhile, Allison Iraheta, now officially a year older, is the last lady standing.

Last night on Idol, the contestants performed to the big band standards, inspired by the jazzy sounds of the infamous Rat Pack. Oscar winner and classically trained singer, Jamie Foxx was on hand to offer the group solid advice and knowledge of his expertise. Jamie is, perhaps, the best mentor, thus far. He gave words of encouragement to each contestant that seems to have boosted their confidence. He donned Kris as his favorite, praised Allison and Matt for their vocal abilities, pushed Danny to let his voice out, and called Adam "incredible". The group took something from Jamie's mentoring, as it was evident that everyone has stepped up their game.

A review of the contestants and their performances are as follows:

Kris: He was wearing a suit, looking very dapper and grown-up. He sang to "The Way You Look Tonight". Vocally, he doesn't quite compare to the other contestants. But he has serious talent and performed well last night. Besides, with his large fan base, there is no doubt that we will be seeing more of him next week.

Allison: She looked much softer and pretty last night. It was nice to see a side of her much different from her usual rocker-chick style. Her vocals are so strong that her version of the ballad, "Someone to Watch Over Me", wasn't too mature for her. Although, she isn't as popular as the guys, there are people who enjoy her.

Matt: He says that he was excited for this weeks' theme and showed us exactly why. He sang the jazz tune, "My Funny Valentine" and was excellent. Kara and Randy both gave unfavorable reviews, but they were dead wrong. This may have been his best performance yet.

Danny: He performed to "Come Rain or Come Shine". Last night, he seemed to be in his element and was comfortable with it. Kara remarked on his "Rat Pack swagger". Some may joke about his collection of glasses, but none can deny that he has finally found his niche.

Adam: He shut down the show to "Feeling Good". Some don't understand the hype, but I remain a fan. His wardrobe was nice, the arrangement (though not original) was great, and the last note was unbelievable. If musicals aren't working for Disney star, Zac Efron, then Hollywood knows who to call.

Only five great contestants are left in this competition. They are each really talented and that makes tonight's elimination hard. I'm certain that Adam has no worries about being in the bottom three. But, it's hard to decide between Danny or Kris on which will be joining Allison and Matt in that uncomfortable position? And Allison's voice is superb, but it doesn't seem like she will ever has as many fans as the guys have. Based solely upon that reasoning, Allison may go home tonight.

Until next time.

Happy Idol Watching!