Live in Texas

iTunes Review

On 1999’s Live in Texas, Lyle Lovett turns on his sagebrush-dry charm to the fullest while giving his Large Band room to strut its stuff. This engaging in-concert recording is slanted towards his jazzier side, though songs like the wry “If I Had a Boat” and the haunting “North Dakota” (featuring a guest vocal by Rickie Lee Jones) give a taste of his Texas troubadour side. Lovett’s gifts as a poetic lyricist and polished composer often obscure his talents as a witty, odd-but-lovable stage performer. Here, though, his comic timing and nuanced phrasing is given full reign on “She’s No Lady,” “Here I Am,” “That’s Right (You’re Not From Texas)” and other showstoppers. From the quirky “Penguins” to the stirring “Church,” he runs through a gamut of moods in this set, which is also noteworthy as a showcase for the amazing Francine Reed, a mainstay of the Lovett Large Band tours. Her gutsy vocals on the ‘20s blues number “Wild Women Don’t Get the Blues” fires up the crowd before Lovett joins her for a steamy rendition of his “M-O-N-E-Y.” Live in Texas catches Lyle and his bandmates at their eclectic, crowd-pleasing best.