Lyle Lovett: Live in Concert

You gotta Lovett. About a quarter century into his performing career, although he's never quite hit it big (save for that brief shining moment when he was Mr. Julia Roberts), Lyle Lovett remains a captivating singer, songwriter, band leader, and even screen actor (The Opposite of Sex, Short Cuts, etc.). Now he's released his first music DVD, and while it isn't all you might hope for, it sure ain't bad. Lovett's performance with a big band, orchestra, and vocal quartet initially focuses on his 2003 album Smile, in which the singer, like so many other popsters before and since, takes on the Great American Songbook. And while there's no arguing with his song choices--including two (“Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You” and “Straighten Up and Fly Right”) popularized by Nat King Cole and one (“Summer Wind”) closely identified with Frank Sinatra--this kind of stuff isn't his strong suit. Trumpeter Mark Isham sits in on a tune or two, Randy Newman livens things up with two duets with Lovett and a couple of Newman classics (“Political Science” is every bit as pointed now as when he wrote it long ago), and Lovett's own “If I Had a Boat” and “That's Right (You're Not From Texas)” are impeccable. Still, it's the smoking duet with Francine Reed (“What Do You Do?”) and some rousing gospel tunes that really rock the house. All in all, this PBS-aired Soundstage entry, presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo, may not be perfect, but it's a worthy tribute to the artist's versatility. Recommended. Aud: P. (S. Graham)