American Idol Season 9 - when Harry Met Idol

What an interesting week we had on American Idol. This was Frank Sinatra stylings week with Harry Connick Jr. in the mentor seat - a combination that promised to be a no-fail event. And for the most part, it really was a great week in Idol-land.

The show this week opened with Aaron Kelly singing "Fly Me to the Moon." This is one of my favorite standards and I was worried that Aaron wouldn't be able to pull it off. With his cotton-candy voice, his rendition lacked the cajones to be believable. The judges were not impressed either. "If Frank Sinatra is a lion, you're a little mouse," Simon taunted.

But Aaron's performance was quickly overshadowed by the train wreck that was Casey James. He came out sans guitar and attempted to sing "Blue Skies." Kara said his voice "sounded like lamb" while he tried to hold out notes. I've always thought he had an Eddie Vedder -ish sound when he sings, and it really resonated that way in this performance. Obviously, Casey is quite uncomfortable all dressed up and crooning Sinatra-style. At the end of the day, his was the worst performance of the night.

The show really turned around after that when Crystal Bowersox took the stage. With style and class, Crystal delivered a nostalgic and sweet performance of "Summer Wind." And she looked lovely in her mermaid classic black and prom-night hairdo. The judges gave her a wagging finger, though, saying that her selection was indulgent and chiding that she needs to continue to challenge herself at this stage of the competition. Though her choice may not have been technically challenging, it was a decent performance. But, the judges are right - this was not her best performance and now is the time to turn it up.

When Big Mike Lynche took the stage, crooning an R&B/jazz fusion version of "The Way You Look Tonight," he owned the show. Wearing a fedora and filling the stage with his presence, Mike really showed his charisma and style. He seemed more comfortable and confident than ever while wooing the women and impressing the judges.

Then there was Lee Dewyze. Lee came out in rare form, belting out one of Ol' Blue Eyes most popular tunes, "That's Life." Being the rocker that he is, you might expect Lee to cower in the face of such a big production, but you would be mistaken. Lee had swagger and confidence like never before. I couldn't help but think back to where he was at the beginning of the competition and marvel at just how far he's come in terms of confidence, control and style. He seems to have hit his stride in the competition. I predicted several weeks back that Lee could be the dark horse that comes from behind and wins it all. And it looks like he's on his way to fulfilling that prediction. His performance was a huge high-note to end the night. What a way to go out.

The best part of the entire week was Harry Connick Jr. As a mentor, he brought personality (he upstaged all the contestants with his quirky antics) and an abundance of knowledge and wisdom. He took a more hands-on approach as mentor than any other mentor in the history of American Idol. He brought out the best in all the contestants. In fact, he even defended Casey's performance. He actually told everyone that Casey sounded tons better in rehearsals. He went so far as to say that "it's really hard to hear up here." I don't know if it made any difference, but it was cool to hear Harry defending Casey.

On top of all the work he put into the contestants, he arranged, played and conducted all the music for each of the contestants. What an amazing thing to have someone invest so much into these up-and- coming talents. He even brought some of his own guys to play in the band. Harry brought so much extra to the show this week; I wish he could be the mentor every week.

With the Harry and Frank Sinatra combo, I have no idea how this week brought the lowest viewer ratings since 2002. From his silly jokes, to his strange comparison of himself to Lee Dewyze, to his Frank Sinatra story, Harry made the show this week more fun to watch than ever.

On the results show, Lady Gaga showed even more skin than ever. Her "Alejandro" was a strange production consisting of a handful of mostly naked men dancing around a tall spiky tree-thing. There was a winged angel center stage spouting fire and Lady Gaga herself wearing a fishnet body-stocking. I'm not sure what the point was or what it had to do with "Alejandro" or Sinatra, for the matter, but it was definitely interesting.

Harry, who doesn't need a ton of weird props or to show a ton of skin, came out sharply dressed and stylish, crooning, as only he can, a Beatles classic, "And I Love Her." His voice, resonating with smooth class and passion, mesmerized. He is definitely a showman who knows how to charm and swagger, like a modern-day Dean Martin. His performance was a highlight of the season.

So who went home? This week saw Aaron sing is farewell. Which is surprising since his was clearly not the worst performance of the week. Casey skirted by on his past performances and golden-boy charm. Let's just hope this was a big wake-up call for him.

Aaron had a better-than-expected run on American Idol. He was never one of my favorites in this season's crop of contestants, but he's always given it all he's got. He always tries really hard. He will definitely have a big career if he continues to develop his skills. Good luck, Aaron!

Now, let's see what happens next week...