Jaz Ellington beats Jay Norton on The Voice 2012 sing-off

Jay Norton and Jaz Ellington the voiceThe seventh pair in the Battle Round sing-off on The Voice tonight was Jay Norton and Jaz Ellington. And it was Jaz Ellington who booked his place to appear on the live shows.

Coach Will.i.am chose ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’ by Marvin Gaye for the duo to sing.

Will said he had put these singers together, because they are both ‘jedi knight singers’ and both amongst his best.

Jay admitted that he was intimidated by Jaz’s ‘high belt voice’ and said that he saw himself as the ‘underdog.’ Norton thought most people were expecting his opponent to ‘murder’ him on stage.

However, Jaz wasn’t well and had a chest infection and revealed that because he works as a singing teacher, he didn’t have a chance to rest his voice before the Battle Rounds and so was pretty ill as a consequence. Will told him he needed to ‘overcome it’ and insisted ‘you can’t let it stop you.’

After listening to them rehearse, Will confessed:

‘I should never have put Jay up against Jaz, or Jaz up against Jay. They are two fantastic singers and I would like to have kept them both on my team.’

After the sing off Jessie J berated Will saying:

‘What were you doing putting them together? Television is not ready for the talent on this show. I cannot wait for people to turn their TV’s on and see people singing live and doing it well.’

Danny O’Donoghue joined his fellow judges in a standing ovation and said:

‘You know I’m standing is to make a statement that this is what The Voice is about. Jay, I had a great opportunity to work with Boyz to Men and I stood beside one of the best singers I have ever heard in my life, and you are like him Jaz. You have got the tone and the talent. Jay, you held your own against Jaz.’

Will deliberated saying:

‘The reason why I paired you guys is that you don’t sing alike, but you have a lot in common. You have a lot of soul and so much raw talent. Jay I am super duper proud, you outlicked him but you owned the stage and you showed your low range and high range is out of this world. I have worked with Justin Timberlake before and to me, you are better than him.’

‘Jaz, you hit this one riff in there and I hurt my head, because it knocked me out. There was a part in the beginning that was flat and that’s because of your bronchitis. If that’s what you sound like with bronchitis, shazam!’

In the end Will had to choose and said:

‘You both killed it and knocked us all out, but Jaz I want to take you onto the lives. You’ve got soul in a bowl, you’ve got soul on a pole.’