New coach (and Millennial icon) Gwen Stefani tries to replicate one of Blake’s signature moves during “The Voice” Blind Auditions. (Photo property of NBC)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
Last night, The Voice: Season Seven continued their Blind Auditions!
Adam scored three new singers (Kelli Douglas, Mia Pfirrman and Alessandra Castronovo), while Blake recruited John Martin, Kensington Moore and Bree Fondacaro to his team.
Gwen Stefani handed out three “Team Gwen” shirts to Jessie Pitts, Troy Ritchie and returning artist Anita Antoinette! Meanwhile, Pharrell continued to “Get Lucky” as Ricky Manning, Blessing Offor and Jordy Searcy elected to join his team!
As the teams continue to fill up, did any of the coaches complete the building process? Read on to find out…
15-year-old Katriz Trinidad kicked off the night! She lived in her small home with eight of her family members and won 14 singing competitions! Her cover of “At Last” was pure and her runs were as crisp and soothing at possible. She reminds me so much of both Jessica Sanchez and Charice! She caught the attention of Blake, Pharrell and Gwen. It was interesting to see Pharrell on his knees and I liked Gwen’s advice about being less rehearsed. As the crowd roared ideas, Katriz picked Pharrell as her coach!
While Katriz and her family celebrated, Chicago native Ethan Butler began his musical journey with his father’s church! After performing in bars and open mic nights, Ethan wanted to pursue his dream full-time. His cover of “Beneath Your Beautiful” showcased that he was a great arranger and while he was sharp at some points, his vocal range shined when he went after the glory run! Ethan caught the attention of both Voice stalwarts. He decided to join Team Adam after the Maroon 5 singer gave him some advice.
Last season, Tanner Linford was unsuccessful at his Blind Audition! With a new-found confidence and a deeper vocal range, Tanner set out to impress the coaches. His cover of “When You Say Nothing At All” was the first Blind Audition to give me chills and he made Allison Krauss proud! Way to go, Blake, for picking up this gem!
29-year-old Jean Kelley had a passion for music, as her parents were music aficionados! Unfortunately, everything changed when her mother passed away when they were on vacation. Her father supported her decision to pursue music and audition for the show. At the first note, I was enticed. Her vocal on Kelly Clarkson’s “Already Gone,” was surprisingly better than the original. Having both Blake and Gwen turn their chairs around rewarded Jean’s emotional performance! Jean decided to go join Team Gwen.
20-year-old Chris Jamison traded his mail clerk job for a spot at The Voice Battle Rounds. While I am not usually a fan of John Mayer’s songs, Chris did an incredible job inserting his falsetto into “Gravity” and it caught the attention of all four coaches. Gwen wanted to bring a certain signature sound and Adam thought he overdid it, both Pharrell and Blake complemented his performance. At the end, Chris decided to enlist with Team Adam.
Nashville veteran and full-time dad Craig Wayne Boyd was the next rocker to take the stage. After being in the music industry for 11 years, Craig is ready to take it to the next level and raise his two-year-old son, Jackson. I liked his growls and vocal licks with Travis Tritt’s “The Whiskey Ain’t Workin’.” Craig has something that I have not seen in a couple of seasons: true country grit! Craig’s tone caught the attention of Blake and Pharrell. While the Grammy-wining producer tried his best, Chris chose the King of Country to be his coach!
There have been a lot of strong women that have appeared on The Voice. Frenchie Davis, Kim Yarbrough, Amanda Brown, Judith Hill, Tessanne Chin and Sisaundra Lewis have all made their mark on The Voice stage. Hoping to join this legacy of powerful women was Toia Jones. When she first sang the first bars of Adele’s “One and Only,” I got chills and was taken to music nirvana. Her vocal range was outstanding and I am very happy that Pharrell and Adam turned around. While Adam used the flirting tactic, Pharrell promised to lift her as part of his team! Toia took one of the final spots on Team Pharrell.
29-year-old Amanda Lee Peers came from a born again Christian family! It was very tough for her to come out to her family, as her church ostracized her for her lifestyle. With the help of her girlfriend, Sandy, Amanda returned to music and headed to audition for the NBC singing competition. When Amanda sang “Put the Gun Down”, I knew that I was watching a firecracker rock the stage. She is going to be a true gem on Team Gwen!
The last singer of the night was Jonathan Wyndham! He overcame a speech-impediment through music and toured across the country with numerous groups. Jonathan tackled A Great Big World and Voice coach Christina Aguilera’s “Say Something.” His cover was gorgeous, gave me chills and I think would make Xtina weep! All four coaches turned around and fought for him, but after the bloodbath…Jonathan chose Adam!
Next week, “The Voice: Season Seven” Blind Auditions conclude!
