Don’t pigeonhole me.

Lyle Lovett’s eleventh album “It’s Not Big, It’s Large” makes a vital point with it’s title. This is not Big Band music (although the album does start with a Count Basie instrumental.) This is a highly versatile band framing the music of one of America’s most original songwriters. Folk, gospel, Texas swing, country and bluegrass; Lovett touches all the bases of his varied influences for one of the most satisfying albums of his career. 

That Lyle is a happy man these days is obvious. “All Downhill” tells how he loves his life so much that “There’s only one thing that I fear…it could be all downhill from here.”  With fantastic call and response vocals from his long-time gospel choir, he repeats the mantra that “I’m a happy son-of-a-gun” on “Make it Happy” and flatly punctuates it at the end with “now I’m too happy.”  The sweet reminiscence of “”South Texas Girl” recalls his childhood riding in the car with his parents singing the songs “that the old cowboys sang” and how he does the same now with his own girl from South Texas. It’s not all fun and smiley faces however, Lovett does have a dark side. “This Traveling Around” claims that life on the road “is going to be the death of me.” “Up in Indiana”, which is repeated with two different arrangements, is a prison song despite it’s up-tempo cheerful nature and “I Will Rise Up/Ain’t No Cane” is a harrowing traditional work song given another great gospel arrangement.  

The Large band is made up of some of the biggest Nashville session musicians. Many of them travel with Lovett on the road, dressed impeccably in their classy suits and this album reflects the same attention to detail that has made them a “large” part of Lovett’s success.  

Listen for songs from Lyle Lovett’s album “It’s Not Big, It’s Large” all this week on Paul Shugrue’s new music show “Out of the Box.” Monday through Thursday from 7 pm to 9pm, Saturday afternoon from 1 pm to 5 pm and on demand at www.whrv.org/outofthebox.