American Idol 2/27/07 - Well, try Europe, Leslie

So it turns out that this week's casualty Leslie Hunt wasn't even trying to access Melissa Etheridge; she was aiming for Nina Simone. And thus we have the first great maxim of the season: "America don't care for jazz," snuck in at the very end of the broadcast like some distress call.

Wish I could throw out a line to her. But the only one I can come up with is: "This is news to you?" Jazz has long since become the new classical what with its "aw, poor baby" institutional affiliations, its musicological barriers to understanding if not pleasure, and its frequent sterility. As such, most Americans must be forced to care about jazz if they're to think of it at all. Not that its keepers make it any easier, the swellheads. As with Beatles fans, jazz douchebags, as they are affectionately known on ILM, betray their cause with a snooty inability to live in the now. So for me, I love jazz but I'll give as much attention to the clueless musings of Homer Simpson as I do to Gary Giddins.

And Ms. Hunt's equally clueless admonishment only fans the flames of jazz indifference (spilling over into hate). It certainly doesn't help the cause that she sang the exact same song as A.J. Tabaldo (who was also kicked off this week...it's a conspiracy!!), no matter how different the arrangements. Hadn't she ever heard Billie Holiday's "I'm A Fool To Want You?"

In other news, note to Ryan: our Jennifer Hudson? Our? Sure, y'all didn't vote her off. But that still doesn't make her yours.

Note(s) to Randy: Heart is NOT edgy, esp. in their song doctored days. And yes, us jazz-hating Americans do know Jamiroquai...unfortunately.

Brandon Rogers was a sap this week and deserved the ax. But he inspired Simon's best bitchiness of the season so far: "My mom's b-day is in November. And I like puppies." Snap!

Sanjaya pulled in about 5,000 votes with his intro. But he delivered what is probably the very worst performance ever at this level of the competition. Told ya it wasn't a singing contest.

Chris Richardson's little kick dance is A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E.

But Blake Lewis is still my man. He's just flat-out musical, pointing towards a wider range of genres out there than the other contestants even hint at. He's already better than Jamiroquai. Do I hear Jamie Lidell?

As for the girls, Lakisha coasting and she knows it. Stephanie seemed behind the music. And Blake seemed to know it! And fuck Antonella Barbra. I'm glad Simon set her straight on who kicked Jennifer Hudson out. It's called AMERICAN Idol, sweetz, not Simon Idol.

Finally, the band is superb this season. The arrangement for Nick Pedro's losing "Fever" welded jazz insouciance to quiet storm. And the backup singers were smokin' on Sundance's ass-saving "Mustang Sally."