When Paul McDonald performed Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock 'N' Roll" last night on "American Idol," judge Steven Tyler voiced what all of America was thinking: "Never mind you, Paul--who's your sax player?"

Steven wasn't just interested in Paul's saxophonist because, well, she was an attractive blonde woman. Though I'm sure that didn't hurt. And it wasn't just because this was the first saxophone solo in "American Idol" history. The mystery woman really could play, and she practically upstaged Paul. While some people mistook the sax stylist for similarly coiffed Season 9 "Idol" semifinalist Lilly Scott, it was actually respected jazz artist Mindi Abair; she was enlisted by guest producer Don Was, whom she met several years ago at the Newport Jazz Festival. And there might have been a very funny and unexpected reason why Steven had his eye on her.

"I haven't told anyone this yet, but since the song we did was from Risky Business, one of the 'Idol' producers said, 'I'm gonna dress her up

Charity-minded Kris Allen, who has traveled to Haiti for "Idol Gives Back" and to Rwanda with Tom's Shoes in the past year, has once again proven that he is true Idol material. This week, the "American Idol" champion is championing music education, by announcing, as part of his ongoing partnership with Music Empowers, that he will play four concert dates with the Berklee City Music All-Star Band.

"To be associated with a leader in music education such as the Berklee City Music program is truly an honor," Kris said in a statement this week. "Music education is vital to any child's development and is a cause that I hold close to my heart. The opportunities that the Berklee program provides to kids are remarkable and inspiring."

Kris will serve as an official ambassador for the Berklee City Music Network (BCMN), a nonprofit program that provides music education to kids in cash-strapped schools and raises awareness of the need for music education (especially in underprivileged urban

Well, it's official: Small-town boy turned "American Idol" winner Kris Allen has finally gone Hollywood. This Friday, April 15, he'll be making his acting debut on the season finale of the TeenNick's "Gigantic," a scripted drama about Los Angeles "it kids," starring alongside Meryl Streep's daughter Grace Gummer and Joe Mantegna's daughter Gia Mantegna. But of course, Kris is still keeping it real: On the show, he plays...himself!

On the episode, titled "Food Stylist Girl," Kris is hired by the rich and spoiled Vanessa (played by Gia) to write songs for her Paris Hilton-style pop career...with not-so-Idolicious results. Check out Kris describing the show's plot, and how he feels about taking on acting, in this interview shot on the "Gigantic" set (and look for a goofy cameo by his bandmate Cale Mills at the end):

As if you're wondering about the chemistry Kris shares with his co-stars, see him goof off with "Gigantic" actor Tony Oller (who plays Vanessa's long-suffering crush-boy,

Accusations of weight discrimination on "American Idol" are nothing new. Plus-sized contestant Mandisa had it with out with Simon Cowell in Season 5 after he cruelly criticized her appearance, and one Milwaukee auditioner this season argued that her weight was the real reason she didn't get a golden ticket. But the case of 19-year-old Ashley Kauffman is the first time, to my knowledge, that an "Idol" audience member has complained about this type of prejudice.

According to Radar Online, the 5-foot-2, 150-pound Ashley was forbidden to sit in the front row with her five friends at a recent "Idol" taping because, she claims, she was overweight. "One of us was not in a great outfit and [a woman working on the set] said, 'Oh, I don't want shorts in front.' Then she looks at me and goes, 'Oh no, you're just too big, too heavy, to be in front!'"

Ashley adds: "I was kind of taken aback. I'm not that big, but I understand I was bigger than the girls I was with. But I was like, 'Wow, way to hit