Lyle Lovett and His Large Band at Ravinia

Despite the sweltering temperatures Tuesday night at Ravinia,singer-songwriter Lyle Lovett displayed calm coolness. After all,this Texas boy is used to the heat. He and his Large Band, whousually dress in natty suits, made only one concession to theweather. They shed their suit jackets, keeping the crisp white shirtsand ties.

But Lovett and band made no concessions when it came to theiralmost three-hour performance. Lovett knows how to keep hisappearances fresh and relevant. He wooed the sold-out crowd with hisendearingly crooked smile, quiet humor and a carefully chosen rosterof tunes from his diverse songbook.

A unique presence in country music, Lovett blends country, blues,gospel, swing and rock to create a diverse picture of a singer-songwriter at the top of his game. After touring last summer with asmaller band that featured mandolin master Sam Bush, Lovett returnedto Ravinia after an absence of several years with his 15-member LargeBand, featuring brass, cello and backup vocalists.

The show, the fastest sellout this season at Ravinia, opened witha gospel fueled rave-up of "Church," which turned the venue into aNorth Shore revival meeting. Lovett followed this with reliableversions of "Here I Am," "She Makes Me Feel Good," "Since the LastTime," "I've Been to Memphis," "Long Tall Texan," "She's No Lady" and"This Old Porch."

Lovett's musical ties range from the Texas swing of Bob Wills tothe poignant storytelling of Townes Van Zandt to the gospel standardsof the South. It is his ability to tie these genres into a cohesiveartistic vision that keeps his diehard fans entranced at one momentand dancing in the aisles the next.

But what was missing from Lovett, who is considered one of thebest songwriters of his generation, was something new and daring. Forhis last two releases, Lovett delivered a live disc, and before that,an album of covers by fellow Texas singer-songwriters. Fans atRavinia seemed content with the retread of older material, but from atalent such as Lovett, one gets itchy for the next entry in hisversatile songbook.

Nevertheless, Lovett is a great song stylist who knows how to usehis quirky vocal style to its best effect. Fleshing out the songswere the 15 members of the Large Band, who as a team andindividually, added a lush sheen to the performance.

Back-up singer Francine Reed added a polished blues wail toseveral songs and took centerstage for a staggering rendition of"Wild Women Don't Get the Blues." Pianist Tim Ray flowed easilybetween elegant stylings and hard-core honky-tonk. And, as he hasdone before, cellist John Hagen launched into an avant-garde cellointerlude that allowed the audience to see the instrument in anentirely new light.