Lyle Lovett was alt-country before the term existed. When he emerged in the '80s, no other country singer sounded quite like him. Offering a fresh idea about what country could contain, the Texan singer/songwriter seamlessly blended it with big-band jazz, gospel, folk, blues, and much more. While some of his songs show a deep grounding in traditional country, others experiment with all manner of different directions, making good use of Lovett's quirky sense of humor, bone-dry wit, and gift for poetic turns of phrase.