American Idol

Lee Dewyze is up first and Jamie works with him on his song choice of Kiss From a Rose. Jamie gets right up in Lee's face to listen to him sing it, which he did to Danny Gokey last year. If you smile, laugh, and giggle, that means you can't perform in front of millions of people. He has to get in touch with that confidence, and if he lets the audience feel it, we may be looking at the American idol. Tonight Lee sings with guitar and confidence. He has a slow start, but kicks it in at the chorus. I like it on him. He also adds a little different thing in at the end. Artist.

Randy Jackson agrees with Jamie in one way, that he's also looking for who's in it to take it and what type of artist they're gong to be. He doesn't think Lee did anything with the song and felt it was just okay and pitchy in spots. He's the rocker and should ahve chosen something else like Blaze of Glory, yet that wasn't even on their approved song list. Ellen DeGeneres sees what he's saying and thinks there could have been more done with the song, yet he's still good, and he sang it well.

Kara DioGuardi notes Lee had a great week last week, and she thinks part of the problem is that it's one of the most difficult songs to sing. Having the arrangement the way it was and not just him and his guitar, he got lost in some ways and had some out-of-tune issues. But you can't take away from the fact he is still great and she can hear him on the radio. Simon is with Randy on this, because there are so many brilliant movies and brilliant songs and so many opportunites to find the song and make it original for them. It was verging on karaoke, i.e. trying too hard to sound like the original. He thinks Lee only earned the Contestant t-shirt. Lee felt good singing the song and says all season he did his best to take songs and do what he felt best.

Michael Lynche gets to do some stool chat with Ryan and talks about the pressure this week, saying there was the pressure of the family and hometown really wanting you to get into the top three to bring it home. That makes him prepare a little differently. A year ago Mike made a goal to get into the top three, and he's so close, increasing the pressure.

Big Mike meets with Jamie and is singing Will You Be There, and Jamie thinks he's feeling a little like he shouldn't be here, but Jamie feels he should be. He tries to loosen him up a little, asking him to dance, then punches his hands. His hurt hand is became of Big Mike. He won't take the Contestant shirt and says he'll be back for the Artist one. Jamie thinks once he lets go, he'll really shine. Mike sings tonight from Adam's stairs, and he seems to start off singing too low, then brings it up to a more comfortable level. I think he just earned his t-shirt. This is classic Big Mike with smooth vocals and big notes.

Randy isn't sure what's going on tonight, noting it's a cool song made big by the late great Michael Jackson, with Mike's whole gospel focus. He didn't love it for him and wishes he would have chosen an R&B song that was more suited for him. Ellen thinks you can't go wrong with a the sound of a choir behind you, and says it's from one of the classic great movies of all time, Free Willy. It's a weird thing that his goal is top three, as she thinks his goal should be to win this thing, and I have to admit she has a point. He always sounds good, but she felt it was a little bit predictable.

All Kara could think of tonight with Big Mike was Ready for Love and This Woman's Work, because those were songs where she had goosebumps. She wants goosebumps again. She didn't feel that and knows he has more, but played it safe. What he did tonight he can do in his sleep. He ponts out there's more later from him. Simon says he has no idea what Free Willy is and asks what the film is about, producing laughter from everyone, but he's being dead serious. He's told it's about a whale that gets saved. He can't connect a whale called Willy with what Mike just did and says it doesn't make sense. He thinks he could have chosen another song. When Kara tells him the song isn't really about a whale, he asks if it's about a willy. He felt Mike did give it 100% and meant it. Ryan asks Dori to explain Free Willy to Simon.

We're on to our first duet, and this one is between Crystal Bowersox and Lee as they take on Falling Slowly from the movie Once. They both have guitars and harmonize together wonderfully, facing each other the whole time. They end it with a hug.

Randy tells these two what a difference a few moments make. It was a great song by two great singers, and he feels it could be a hit right now. It was amazing, and that's what he's talking about. Ellen tells them they're like the new Captain and Tenille. "God that was great." It was one of Kara's favorite moments of the whole season. They both felt like artists, and she loves how they interacted, the chemistry, and their support for each other. They brothght out the best in both of them, and that's what duets are.

Simon doesn't know if he'd call it a good song, but he would call it a fantastic song. Crystal admits they had to try hard not to chuckle the first few times they sang the song together, and Lee explains the situation, saying you never sang with someone before, and now you're staring at them, but after a couple of times it became fun. Crystal admits she called Lee her musical crush when they were sitting next to each other at the auditions in Chicago.

Casey James is up now to meet with Jamie who is happy to see someone from Texas. He's singing Mrs. Robinson, and notices he doesn't focus while he's singing, so wants him to prentend he's a woman, and try to seduce him. He wants him to look past him and understand the big picture of it. Casey felt it being more intense and that it did make it different. Singing the song tonight, he accompanies it on a ukulele, sitting on a stool and wearing robins egg blue leather. I didn't think I'd like this, but I have to admit I do. He makes it his own I want to say too. He's back.

Randy asks why Casey chose that song, and hears because of a lot of different things, which Randy laughs about, saying he figured as much and points at Kara. He thought Casey sounded cool on it, but wasn't jumping up and down as it wasn't changed, but just cool and laid back. He's still wondering about the subject matter though. Ellen wishes they would have given Casey a big boy guitar, who jokes back this is what a regular guitar looks like on Big Mike. She likes that after last week he got beat up a little, but came back and did something different. She thought he was going to go firuther with it, but likes that he changed it up. She turns it over to Mrs. Robinson.

For Kara this is Casey fighting to stay in the competition, as this is where he's not comfortable – up front, vulnerable, attached to the song. For some reason he has difficulty with that and likes to jam band and do the electric thing. It was a good choice for her, and she attacks Simon and Randy, saying she knows they're being naughty. Simon asks again what the movie is about. She explains it's a bout an older woman with a younger guy. Simon sends it back to him and doesn't personally think it had the substance required on this important night for him, thinking it was a little lazy. He thinks he could have made more of an impact, and that there have been some strange song choices on the night, including that one.

Crystal gets stool chat with Ryan who asks her about song choice, saying the judges have been tough on the choices, and then she's doing a song from Caddyshack. She thinks it's a great movie, and the mood has been low. I's a funny film and a good song. She's asked if the judges have been a little tough on her the past few weeks, and she cracks, "Yeah, but I'm alright."

When Crystal meets up with Jamie, she makes a mistake singing her lyrics and swears, but it's bleeped out. He tells her she can't cuss on TV, and she admits to being starstruck. He wants her to get herself together and never stop, adivising her to let people see her pretty blue eyes and let people know she's alright, know it's not just a song, but a testimony. She sings tonight with that mic stand from home. She definitely adds a big dash of Crystal into this. I want to think she's back, and in fact I'm going to declare it, even though I personally never thought she left.

Randy says he's been saying it since day one that Crystal is definitely an artist. It's not his favorite performance, but he loves that she tried to switch it up and make it somewhat interesting to fit her. Ellen notes that performance just got crystal-ized, and thinks she actually took that song and made it better. Kara completely agrees with Ellen that Crystal took the song and made it better, and agrees with Randy that she's an aritst. Simon isn't going to to ask what the movie is about, saying he thinks he's already in a lot of trouble, after the whale film. But after that performance, he thinks she's back in the game. Ryan feels the only thing in question is Crystal's boyfriend's rhythm, the way he was dancing in his American flag pants. He thinks maybe Jamie shoudl give him some dancing tips.

Casey and Big Mike are here with a duet singing Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman from Don Juan deMarco, and both are on guitars, although this time Casey's on a full size one. This is really pretty guitar work, mostly on Casey's part. He is really talented with his guitar work. They're not facing each other lovingly like Crystal and Lee were, interestingly enough. Even more interesting is how well these two meet up in their vocals. I didn't think their harmonizing woiuld go all that well with their two very different styles, but I was wrong.

Randy thought Casey's guitar playing was excellent, and for him it started out rough vocally, but when Mike came in with the sultry and sexy thing, it was brilliant. Ellen states as a matter-of-fact, yes she has loved a woman. Touche. Kara states the duets tonight were incredible and were better than all the solo performances. Simon thinks we should give Jamie's Artist t-shirts to the duets tonight as they were a million times better than the solos. He calls this particular one really well done.