Sam Smith & Mary J Blige • Stay With Me (Live)

It is tough to come up with anything witty or smart to say about a duet between Sam Smith and the wonderful Mary J. Blige. Sam seems to be the 'it' boy of the hour, but for once, the talented man lives up to the hype. And what more can be said about Mary J? I mean, that voice is so rich and sounds so damn sweet, and both connect to their material like few could. So when they came together to sing Smith's latest single, it was bound to be something special. When it happens on the stage of the famed Apollo Theater, because Mary J. Blige shows up unannounced to perform with Smith, well, that is just to great. This is the video from Mary J. Blige and Sam Smith singing "Stay With Me".

You can purchase "Stay With Me" by Sam Smith and featuring Mary J. Blige from iTunes. You can also find the song by Sam on his latest release, 'In the Lonely Hour'. You can purchase the album from iTunes and Amazon. For more about Sam Smith, visit his official website. You can also 'like' him on Facebook, and 'follow' him on Twitter. For more about the incredible Mary J. Blige, visit her official website. You can also 'like' her on Facebook, and 'follow' her on Twitter.

American Idol Season 12 • Top 3 Review & Recap

Last week, the Top 4 became the Top 3 when Amber Holcombe went home, leaving Kree Harrison, Angie Miller and Candice Glover to make the hometown visits and prepare three songs for tonight. Each young woman was assigned a song by the judges, one from Jimmy Iovine, and a third by the producers, leaving them no choice of their own. Can they make all the appearances that are scheduled, and still learn and rehearse the songs they need to perform? Only time will tell, and we are certainly doing time on American Idol this season.

Left to right: Angie Miller, Candice Glover, and Kree Harrison.

The judges were introduced, followed by Crusty, who soon brings out the Top 3. One will be crowned the new American Idol next week, and all are hungry for the win. But first, we see quick clips of them visiting their home towns, with the crowds there to greet them all. The first round will be the picks of Jimmy Iovine, and the show kicks off with Kree singing “Perfect” by Pink.

Kree comes out in fine voice, and does a great job with the song. I feel the message coming from her heart, and enjoyed it. Keith was oddly vacant in his critique, instead sort of questioning the song choice, but glad she always sounds Country. Nicki was anything but neutral, instead telling Kree she was great, and seemed more relaxed than last week. But she also suggested Kree try some flat boots so she can move around the stage more. Randy was not impressed, and felt the performance was flat, but Mariah thought she sounded good, but felt she might have been holding back a bit, since she has two more to go. After the break, it is time for Candice to perform, and Jimmy picked “One”, the U2 song also covered by the great Mary J. Blige.

Candice came out ready to give it her all. While I love her energy, and did feel like the song was a bit short, and she spent part of the time yelling at me. There were also a few bad notes in there, which is never the case. I love her, but thought that fell just a tad short. Nicki loved her, and thought she was on par with Mary J. Randy thought she was wonderful, didn't mind some bad notes, and was on her way to the finals. Mariah loved it, wants Candice to believe in herself as much as she believes in her. Keith loved it, and thought she once again proved the power of her voice. And the bad notes proved how much she wanted to win. All mentioned they loved the song choice by Jimmy, something they did not say about the choice for Kree. The final selection by Jimmy Iovine was for Angie, who will be singing Elton John's “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word”.

Right away, I am shocked she is not on the piano, for that is a shoe in for the judges' approval. She is in the middle of the stage singing amidst smoke and violinists. For me she is spending an awful lot of the song going flat, with an occasional foray into the sharp end. I thought it was a bit sloppy, and struggling. Randy started it all by questioning why she didn't play the piano. But despite that, he loved her, no matter how she sounded. Mariah loved it, and was happy for her restraint. Keith loved it, but wished she was even more restrained. Nicki thought it was a stellar vocal, but the emotions were lacking, which meant she was in it to win it. Confused, I decided to move on. Between the rounds, Jimmy is on camera, and decides the round has to go to Angie, for he thought she connected emotionally to the song. Again, I opt to move on. Now we see a bit of Candice's trip home, and she is thrilled to visit her old boss, and starts to cry as she is close to home. The streets are lined with people, all there to show their love. Candice is the first to sing the Judge's pick, as she takes on Emile Sandé's “Next To Me”.

This is an excellent choice, and she sounds wonderful on it. But somewhere in the middle, I feel like she is off a bit, although she gathers it together at the end. Mariah leads it off, and says almost nothing about the performance, but how Candice was rejuvenated by the trip home. Keith loved the opening, and the end, and thought they were wonderful. Nicki was so moved, she only tells her she is so proud of her. Randy pats American Idol on the back, and in an afterthought, tells Candice she was awesome. Crusty goes back to Nicki, who tells Candice she loves the confidence she shows, which is tough for women of all colors to keep. Tears flow all around. Angie is up after a prolonged commercial break, and she is joined by her brother, who is growing a 'playoff' beard, not shaving until she wins. They played together while she was home, and that leads to her clips. She goes all over her home town, from her kindergarten school to her very special concert. When the tape was done, Crusty announced Angie would be singing “Try” by Pink.

To my ears, her voice still falls flat far too often. And I found this performance to be trying too hard, but going nowhere. I thought she was stiff on stage, and trying to be a bit over sexualized. I was really unimpressed. Keith loved it, and thought she never looked more comfortable on stage. Huh? Oh, and he also threw in the ubiquitous 'Boston Strong' shout-out at the end. Nicki thought the same thing, and loved her. Randy thought the judges again picked a great song, and she was at her best. Mariah also loved her, and gets her festive personality, for Mariah thinks she herself is also festive. Okay, I have no clue what the hell that means, so I just will have to move on. The final contestant for this round is Kree, and we quickly see her giving hugs as soon as she gets off the plane. Soon they visit the home she grew up in, now fallen to pieces after the loss of both parents. It was quite an emotional journey. After the clip, she sings “Here Comes Goodbye” by Rascal Flatts, and co-written by former Idol finalist Chris Sligh.

She is on her game for the song. She sounds plugged in and connected to the emotion, and in amazing form. The audience loved it, and kept the ovation rolling. Nicki was almost in tears, just saying how she was proud of her, and it was her best of the season. Randy loved it, and once again congratulates the judges for picking the song. And, yes, she was good. Mariah was clearly moved by the video and the performance, yet instead just told Kree how impressed she was with her as a person, and the purity of her voice. Keith was still a little choked up, sniffing big before thanking Kree for singing that song perfectly. Now it is time for another long break, and the ladies will be in the last phase of the night, the Producer's picks. Angie is first this time, and she will be singing “Maybe” by Emile Sandé. This is the second song poached from this British songbird, who is a talented lady indeed.

This time, Angie is at the piano, although she doesn't seem to play until the bridge. And she sounds very breathy to me. The chorus goes quite flat for me, and after knowing the original, showed a lack of soulfulness inherent to the melody. Randy loved it, and was happy she was back at the piano. Mariah loved it, and thinks she is the complete package. Keith loved it, and passed to Nicki. She thought Angie has surpassed her expectations, and loved her. She listed some of the faults of the past, like the pageant-like presentations, the failure to emotionally connect, and I just laugh that all that makes one third of the best Top 3 ever. Next! After the achingly long break, it is time for Kree to give her final performance of the evening. The producers mandate she sings “Better Dig Two” by The Band Perry.

Kree is comfortable in the strong Country sound of the song. She sounds wonderful, and I loved it. This was Country realness, served with a little Southern-Fried-Rock. She owned it, and wore it proud. Mariah didn't love it, for she likes the soulful side more. Uhm, she didn't pick the song, she just sang it. Keith thought it wasn't the right song for her, but he loves her. [Cough, Cough] Kree didn't pick the song. Nicki finally called it, and said whoever picked the song for her should be stoned. And that the judges and her fans all know she is a star. Randy goes on to insult the song, being way to plain and boring for her voice. Nice, sure they are happy they gave permission for that song, right? A long break, and we are back, and Candice is going to sing “Somewhere” from the iconic musical 'West Side Story', written by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim. Here is the version by Barbra Streisand.

This is a glorious song, there is no doubt about it. And Candice is an amazing singer. But that performance had some flaws, to be sure. Her voice broke on two of the runs, and seemed strained at times. I am stunned for her tonight, as for me, this was her weakest night to date. However, Keith thinks that anyone who doesn't vote for Candice needs to see the doctor, and Nicki thinks she is a shoe-in for the finals. Randy called that one of the best performances in Idol history, the second he has called so far this season. Mariah loved her, of course. Jimmy Iovine came out to explain that although he felt Angie won round 1, and Kree took round 2, with that performance, Candice won the night with her miraculous version of a tired old song. We get it. Idol thinks Candice should be in the finals, and win the season. But that is no reason to toss Kree under the bus the way they have tonight, when she clearly out performed Angie. When all is said and done, for my ears, it is Angie who should be going home tomorrow night, and Candice and Kree in the finals. That said, I will not be doing a recap for the finals next week, as I have tickets to drink in the performances of musicians I love, with nary a judge to be seen. So Tune in Thursday night at 8PM on Fox for the results, and next week for the finals. If you miss me, I will be cover The Voice for the rest of the season. Until next time, have fun, and listen to some great music of original and/or independent artists! Support musicians who create the soundtrack to our lives.

Dark Monday • St. Louis Woman

For today's tribute to Broadway musicals, I thought to feature 'St. Louis Woman', a musical with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Johnny Mercer. It was based upon the novel 'God Sends Sunday' by African-American writer Arna Bontemps. The musical opened at the Martin Beck Theatre in New York on March 30, 1946 and ran for 113 performances. The original cast included Robert Pope, Harold & Fayard Nicholas, June Hawkins, Pearl Bailey, Ruby Hill, Rex Ingram, and Milton J. Williams. While many may not react when hearing the title, I know there are at least three songs that are great American Songbook standards. I will start with the wonderful Pop/Jazz classic, "Come Rain Or Come Shine". It is a wonderful song, and today I will bring you a performance by the glorious Mary J. Blige.

The next song you should know is the delicious "Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home". The song was written for a character playing a women of, shall we say, questionable virtue. After all, "free and easy, that's my style" says a lot about a character in the 1940s. It was sung by many different singers, from Judy Garland to Sammy Davis, Jr. It was also featured on 'The Second Barbra Streisand Album', and also on her television special, 'Color Me Barbra'. Sit back and enjoy a 24-year-old Barbra singing "Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home".

Now, I loves me some Audra McDonald, especially when she raises that amazing voice to a classic by Arlen and Mercer. So when I found the clip of Audra singing "I Had Myself A True Love", I was delighted. This song, a beautiful look at lost love and heartache, is perfect for Audra, and perfect for me to hear.

Hope your Monday was great!

American Idol Season 11 • Top 3 Perform

What do Haley Reinhart, Casey James, Danny Gokey, Syesha Mercado, Melinda Doolittle, Elliott Yamin, Vonzell Solomon, Jasmine Trias, Kimberly Locke, and Nikki McKibbin all have in common? They all left American Idol just shy of the goal, making it to the final night of competition, and getting the chance to be the person called the American Idol. At some point in their respective years, most were considered frontrunners, and a couple were thought to have a chance to bring the title home. Some were seen as underdogs, but yet stayed in to fight with their talent, wanting to win. This season, who will want it more, and put down the performance that assures them a spot in the final? Guess we will have to watch and see.

The American Idol Top 3; Clockwise: Madcon; Mariah Carey; Bob Seger; Mary J. Blige; Matchbox 20; John Lennon; Etta James; Aerosmith; and the Jackson 5.

On Top 3 night at American Idol, the formula has stayed somewhat consistent over the years. The contestants get to choose a song themselves, the judges pick one for them, and the record executive, these days Jimmy Iovine, picks a song for each contestant. One was never sure how this would play out, for there were song choices by judges and executives that were at best confusing, and at worse seemed like sabotage. What will it be tonight? Can Randy, Jennifer, and Steven be trusted to choose the song that will work best for each singer? After weeks of complaining about song choices, can Jimmy I put his money where his mouth is? Will each contestant pick a new song, or will they just rerun a favorite they've already offered? After all the introductions, it is time to find out. We are reminded the remaining three went on trips to their hometowns, but no time to dawdle, for Randy, Jennifer and Steven are finding their way to the desk, and Crusty finds the spotlight..."This is American Idol." We are reminded the final performance show will be next Tuesday, and the results on Wednesday night, but first, we must find out who will be competing. After the first break, Joshua will be the first to take the stage. Randy was there to chose for the preacher's son, and had him sing "I'd Rather Go Blind," with music by Ellington Jordan, who gave it to Etta James when she visited Jordan in prison. She later wrote the lyrics, but gave credit to Billy Foster for tax purposes - wink wink. This is better than many of his performances for me, with a nice dramatic arc to the song. But the use of the old-fashioned microphone and the 44-year-old song just emphasized the anachronism that is Joshua. Will he be able to sing something more current? I don't know. Not surprising, the judges loved him, and gave him a standing ovation. They thought he sings this style so well. After Jennifer and Steven tell him he is wonderful, Randy mentions his hope that Joshua can bring his old-school stylings to modern R&B, which he feels is ailing. Ah, he is the savior for R&B. Stand back, Mariah Carey and Alicia Keys, Randy is sending Joshua to save the day! Soon Jennifer is telling us that she thought of the perfect choice for Jessica, who will sing "My All," written by Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff, performed by Mariah.



This is a lovely performance, but not much more for me. It is an odd song choice for a 16-year-old girl, and showed the amazing breath control of Carey, which Jessica wished she had about three quarters through. She gave it a lovely, sweet and ethereal treatment to a song that is about very real emotions. Randy starts it off by telling us that was the best a Mariah Carey song has ever been sung on television. Jennifer panicked when she heard Jessica struggle a bit, just realizing the song was hard - think you might have figured that out before assigning it to the 16-year-old? And Steven, well, he predicts Jessica will win. Wow. Speaking of Steven, he tells us he wants to hear Phillip sing the melody of a song again, so he picked "Beggin'" originally a hit in 1967 for The Four Seasons, featuring Frankie Valli. But Steven mentioned the cover by Madcon.



Pretty much right away, Phillip blows off the melody Steven wanted him to sing, and puts the song through the P2 processor. The song becomes a growl and a grind, with little to do with the original, like much of what he has delivered this season. The man with the gray on gray t-shirt and shirt blew them off completely, and the judges loved him for it. The audience loved him, too. When asked by Crusty who took the first round, Randy thought Joshua a hair ahead, while Jennifer thought it was Phillip, but Steven loved melody-challenged P2, but thought Jessica has the voice of an angel. To mark the beginning of the next round, we get some footage of Joshua returning home to Louisiana. People want to hug him, get his autograph, and have him kiss their babies. It is funny, for he seems to have a tough time processing the attention. But he still goes to church in a stretch limo.... But it is time for the contestant's choice, and he sings "Imagine," written and performed by John Lennon.



Well, this was interesting for me. There were some nice parts to the rendition, showing a sweet spot in his voice. There were a couple of times when he just exploded on the song, making for awkward transitions, a few "wet" catches in his voice. Of course, the judges loved it, with Steven suggested it was brought by a touch of God, and Jennifer thought it almost preaching. Randy thought it was very special. After a break, we visit Chula Vista, California, the home of Jessica. Her journey begins with a helicopter, and landing in the stadium she auditioned for the show. Soon she is on the radio, and there is a a huge crowd cheering for her. But she heads home, to see the family, and is quickly surrounded by fans at the local high school, and to the cheering members of the US Navy. Back on the stage, she is about to sing "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing," written by Diane Warren and performed by Aerosmith.



This must be odd, with Steven Tyler as a judge. It is interesting, for it certainly isn't as muscular as the Aerosmith version, but it does have touching moments. She is greeted by a standing ovation from Steven, and he tells her he loved it. Jennifer also loved it, and thought the final note was heavenly. Randy loved it too, and I am shocked we have yet to be put though any random verbal hand grenades. After we suffer through yet another Steven Tyler Burger King commercial, we visit Leesburg, Georgia, home of Phillip and the pawn shop he worked in. First thing I noticed is that Phillip is wearing a muted brown shirt, not gray! He seems surprisingly cool with the attention of the masses, and is seen wearing a purple t-shirt, and then a blue one. There is a beautiful moment with his Dad, and security pushing girls away... Back on the stage, we find out he will be singing "Disease," written by Rob Thomas and Mick Jagger (of Rolling Stones fame), and performed by Matchbox 20.



This is a nice acoustic arrangement, but even the laid-back version is swallowing his vocals. It totally lacked the sexy charge of the original. For the record, he once again muddles the distinctive melody of the original song, putting it through that processor that is P2. I thought this ended up being a bit on the anemic side, just a pale performance. Jennifer thought it was was okay, and Steven agreed with her. To make a totally strange moment, Randy agreed, although making a production of it. Well, with that over with, it is time for the picks made by Jimmy Iovine, the man in charge of Interscope Records, the home of the Idol winner. For the final performance by Joshua tonight, he picked "No More Drama," using samples from a soap opera theme song, and performed by Mary J Blige.



While I am not minding the opening of the song, the sudden and constant bouncing is distracting. Soon, he is peeling off the jacket, and tossing it aside. Not long after, I lost the song in the performance, a problem I have repeatedly had with Joshua. Mary J sang a song about the distractions of detours of life, and Joshua took it to the same place he goes with every song. I didn't feel the build, it seemed to be a leap over the moon from a stand still. Of course, the judges loved it, and thought it was going to church, laying it all out there. You know, the same thing they say every week. Jimmy I gives a thumbs up, and we can move forward again. Back in Chula Vista, we see Jessica get a text message, and find out Jimmy I picked "I'll Be There," was written by Motown's Berry Gordy, Bob West, Willie Hutch, and Hal Davis, and performed by the Jackson 5.



Jimmy thinks this can help her relate to the cougars in the audience, and still keep a youthful feel. I think this could be the best choice of the night, and Jimmy I should be commended. Jessica does a great job with it, and it was fantastic to not feel uncomfortable about her youth. She sounded beautiful, showing her beautiful tone. Steven loved it, as did Jennifer. However, Randy thought it was just okay, and would rather she took on the Mariah version, rather than one more true to Jessica. I have to wonder if Randy has any daughters... For the final song of the evening, Jimmy I selects "We've Got Tonight," written and performed by Bob Seger. This should be a good choice for Phillip, as it doesn't have a huge range, and allows for a lot of character in the voice. Jimmy I also hopes that Phillip will stick to the melody of the song, something he is hesitant to do. Well, what do you know, he is keeping with the original melody, and with just he and the piano, it is lovely. Soon he is joined by the orchestra, and it starts to spin wheels for me. The reedy and paper-thin quality of his voice is evident, and I was saddened. However, at the end of the song, he is greeted by at standing ovation by the judges, and all the stupid sayings that he has tortured us with for years. Jennifer let her hormones show, and Steven cursed as he said it didn't matter if the notes were hit or not, he sang the melody. Off key. Oh well. During the recap, I am reminded that this show has been about the boys in the last few years, so I suspect it will be Phillip and Joshua in the finals, no matter what the performances were tonight, for Jessica is missing the vital equipment. Even the judges seem to cheer off-key performances over the in-tune ones. As I had feared, the judges should not be trusted to pick songs ever again. I think Jimmy was good with 2 out of 3, better than the 0 for 3 of the judges. Tune in Thursday night at 8PM to your local Fox station for the results, or check back in to this blog to see who will be singing in the finals next week.

American Idol 11 • Top 13 Results

Well, it has finally arrived, the first results show of the season. After weeks of watching auditions, good and bad, followed by the Hollywood rounds and the semifinals, it is finally time for the audience to send someone home... Or is it? That's right, the voters are only getting the chance to pick the bottom two, and then the judges will decide who is safe, and which contestant will end their Idol journey tonight.



After a quick review of the performances from last night, Steven, Randy and Jennifer are introduced, followed by Crusty. He tells us the Season 1- runner up, Lauren Alaina will sing tonight, as well as the first mentor, Mary J Blige. But before they get down to any business, we get the first group number of the season, as the kids all get together to sing Stevie Wonder's 1977 As. The song is off the iconic album Songs In The Key of Life.



You can find Stevie's album on iTunes and Amazon.

That was followed by the first Ford Music Video of the season. The kids all get to sing the great song Big Time, Peter Gabriel's huge hit from 1986.



Jessica, Elise and Hollie are called to center stage, First, we hear from Jimmy Iovine, and he tells us he thinks Elise is in trouble. He thinks Hollie is safe, as is Jessica. Back to the action, Crusty tells us Jessica is safe. So is Hollie, and Elise is in the bottom three. Crusty quickly moves on, and calls Heejun, Jermaine and Colton to the stage. Jimmy I doesn't like what Heejun did with the song. He likes Colton, but isn't sure if he is Pop or Rock singer. Jimmy also felt that Jermaine overthought the song, and it suffered. Colton is safe, and then Heejun is safe, so Jermaine is in the bottom three for the ladies. Crusty tells us that after the commercial break, Lauren Alaina will be joining him on stage.



In an interesting aside, during this first commercial break there is the latest ad for Kohl's department store featuring Jennifer Lopez, singing the 1974 hit for KiKi Dee, I've Got The Music In Me. For me, it showcases the thinness and brittleness of her voice.



Soon it is time to introduce Lauren, who has played concert dates with big Country names like Jason Aldean. She will be performing her second hit off her debut album Wildflowers. The song is Georgia Peaches.



You can find her album, Wildflowers, on iTunes and Amazon.

Back to the action, Shannon, Erika and Skylar are on stage with Crusty. Jimmy I thinks Erika sang it well, but the presentation is iffy. He also made sure everyone knew it was nerves that conquered Shannon last night, and everyone thinks Skylar did well. Erika is sent to join Elise in the bottom, along with Shannon. Skylar goes to safety. Once again Crusty calls a group to join him. Joshua, Deandre, Phillip and Jeremy are there, and Jimmy I feels that people could tire of Joshua's voice, and that Deandre was good and should be safe. He loves Philip, but fears the ladies can out-sing him. This leaves Jeremy, and Jimmy I thinks he will be leaving tonight. Crusty gives the results, and Phillip is safe, and Jeremy is in the bottom 3. With one slot left, Joshua is in the bottom, and Deandre is safe. Before the break, Crusty fools everyone by announcing that Erika and Joshua are safe, leaving Elise and Shannon, as well as Jeremy and Jermaine, still to learn of their fate tonight.



Crusty introduces one of my favorite singers from recent years, Mary J. Blige. She sings Why?, from her album My Life II: The Journey Continues. It is amazing.



Yes, she was brilliant live. These kids could all learn from her. You can find Mary J Blige's album on iTunes and Amazon.

So Crusty has Elise and Shannon, as well as Jeremy and Jermaine, and we discover that Steven Tyler thinks Jeremy is going home. Crusty tells Jermaine he is safe. We learn that Shannon is safe, leaving Elise in the bottom. It is now up to the judges to decide who is going home. Randy isn't sure America got it quite right, but is OK with it. They will take the commercial break to decide. We know Steven will vote for Jeremy to go home, so what will Randy and Jennifer do? After the break, Jennifer struggles to say they have decided to save Elise. The contestant going home is....Jeremy.



They say goodbye to Jeremy while playing Scotty McCreery's Please Remember Me.

Light Posting Ahead

Going through a bit of a family thing at the moment, so posting over the next couple of days might be lighter than usual. Indeed, it have been effecting the posts for the last few days, but I hope things come back to normal soon. In the meantime, I truly hope my life starts heeding the words of the brilliant Mary J. Blige, and there is No More Drama.

Happy B-Day Mary J

Mary J Blige, in my mind the best R&B singer of her [and the next] generation, is celebrating her 39th birthday today. She can take just about any style of music, distill it to the root emotion, and make it happen in the performance. It doesn't hurt she is a gorgeous woman, with amazing style and ability to keep herself looking and sounding current.



No where is this better exemplified than by her 2006 duet with U2 on the song One. Now the song is a great one, filled with angst and self-analysis, and the 1992 version by U2 is superb. But Mary J takes it to another level.



Happy birthday, Mary J, may we hear your voice for years to come.