If Willie Nelson is the outlaw hippie of Texas music and George Strait is the cowboy-in-chief, Lyle Lovett is the Lone Star State’s most debonair bandleader.

For 40 years, he has crafted finely wrought albums that intermingle nimble Western swing, crisp jazz, high-caliber country and intimate singer-songwriter confessionals. Onstage, the sharp-dressed Lovett spins tales with deadpan wit and spot-on comedic timing.

He'll lead his Acoustic Group — a smaller ensemble than his Large Band — at the Jefferson Performing Arts Center in Metairie on Wednesday, Oct. 8. Tickets start at $72 via Ticketmaster. Show time is 7:30 p.m.

The following interview with Lovett, lightly edited for length and clarity, is from “Let’s Talk with Keith Spera,” which airs on WLAE-TV and WWNO 89.9 FM.

The old

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