Trias gets lukewarm
reactions on ‘Idol’Critiques of the teen's big-band
singing are mainly unenthusiastic
The five remaining contestants on "American Idol" treated America to songs made famous by the big-band era singers such as Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.
Each contestant performed two songs, accompanied by a band onstage, as they tried to win over the judges and a nationwide audience last night.
Jasmine Trias: Simon Cowell sees no growth in performance
In the fourth spot in the show, Mililani songbird Jasmine Trias, outfitted in jeans and a green satin top, chirped her way through "The Way You Look Tonight," written by Dorothy Fields and Jerome Kern nearly seven decades ago.
Between songs, Trias acknowledged her supporters back home.
She ended her second number by sustaining a difficult note in the upbeat Alan J. Lerner and Frederick Lowe-penned "Almost Like Being in Love."
Her performance also saw the return of her trademark flower tucked in her hair, behind her right ear.
Randy Jackson, the first of the three judges to critique her, said he found her act likable, but he made it clear he was not completely won over. "OK, very good performance," he said. "It's all right. I liked the high note. I don't know if I was wowed again. I mean, at this point, all of you can really sing and you know that, but I'm looking for, like, 'Dude,' like 'Do that thing,' like 'Bring it on,' but I didn't feel that."
Paula Abdul countered: "I really enjoyed your second performance because I've seen so much growth in you, Jasmine."
But Simon Cowell did not share Abdul's assessment. "I'm going to disagree with you, Paula, because I don't think Jasmine has grown."
Turning to Trias, he said: "I think you're being consistent. I think you're very vulnerable tonight. I think you had to pull something out of a hat tonight and you didn't."
Answering a chorus of boos, he then compared Trias to LaToya London, who had taken the stage before her.
"There wasn't anything to get excited about," he said. "It was predictable, Jasmine, and that was the problem. The performance before was an exciting performance. That was just very pleasant, and I don't think very pleasant is good enough at this stage in the competition."
Near the show's conclusion, Jackson and Cowell put their weight behind London and contestants Fantasia Barrino and Diana DeGarmo by declaring them a notch above the rest of the field, implying that either Trias or singer George Huff should be the next to go.
Results of last night's call-in ballot will be announced tonight at 7:30 on KHON.
