Jingle Ball performers offer jumble of quality

Last update: December 8, 2007 - 12:47 AM

How was Jingle Ball? A low-rent, far-from-smooth production with lots of highs and lows.

• Blake Lewis. The "American Idol" runner-up seemed inexperienced (after a couple of numbers, he announced he had three more songs) and mechanical -- except during "What'cha Got 2 Lose" when he did his infamous beat-boxing. Grade: C-minus.

• Fabolous. The rapper got the crowd into call and response, especially on "Make Me Better" when all the teen girls sang Ne-Yo's part from the recording. Grade: B-minus.

• Good Charlotte. The tight, energetic punk popsters knew how to connect with the fans. So what if the songs were so four years ago. Grade: A-minus.

• Jordin Sparks. The "American Idol" champ showed a strong voice, plenty of personality and forgettable material except for "No Air" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas." Grade: B-minus

• Avril Lavigne. Now 23, she's more polished and slicker (with four dancers and choreography) than her teen punk-pop years. Still, she was mostly fun. Grade: B.

•Timbaland. Hitting the stage nearly an hour late, the hit producer/artist was overly chatty. After rapping two numbers, he brought out some of the acts in his stable. His half-hour performance was casual, short on music but still likable. Grade: B.

JON BREAM