106 / 116
7:30 PM TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2018
PAVILION
LYLE LOVETT & HIS LARGE BAND
LYLE LOVETT & HIS LARGE BAND
Native Texan Lyle Lovett attended Texas A&M
University, where he rst began dabbling in
music by performing covers and original songs
at local folk festivals and clubs. He began his
career as a songwriter, contributing “If I Were
the Woman You Wanted” to Nanci Gri th’s
album and ultimately collaborating with
her on the recording and its follow-up. Lovett
signed his own recording contract and released
his eponymous debut album in
, with ve
singles charting on the country Top
: “Far-
ther Down the Line,” “God Will,” “Why I Don’t
Know,” “Give Back My Heart” and the top-
hit “Cowboy Man.” Aside from country in u-
ences, Lovett’s style displayed an eclectic mix
of jazz, folk and pop as well, and his second
album,
Pontiac
( ), broadened his fan base
with the singles “She’s No Lady” and “I Loved
You Yesterday,” elevating the album to number
on the
Billboard
. For the tour in support
of the album, he assembled his “Large Band”
(a modi ed big band), with which he recorded
another eponymous album (
) that rose to a
number- peak chart position. Lovett’s fourth
album,
Joshua Judges Ruth
(
), showed strong
in uences of gospel and R&B and charted up to
number , further expanding beyond his coun-
try audience to gain a pop following.
I Love
Everybody
(
) built upon his growing pop
sound, entering the charts at number
, but
this was soon eclipsed by
e Road to Ensenada
(
), which recaptured his country audience
and entered that chart at number four while
setting a career peak of number on the pop
chart. e wryly named
It’s Not Big It’s Large
ap-
peared in
, and Lovett’s latest album,
Release
Me
, ful lled its titular imperative in
. Last
year, he was named a distinguished alumnus of
Texas A&M. Lyle Lovett made his rst appear-
ance at Ravinia in
and returns tonight for
his th season.
RAVINIA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 27 – SEPTEMBER 2, 2018
104