Four words: God bless new Orleans. It never ceases to amaze me how this city, full of a cosmic rhythm all its own, produces one amazing musical talent after another. In this case, I am referring to the funkalicious sounds of Have Soul Will Travel on their self-titled alum recorded Live at the Funky Butt on one hazy, full-mooned Halloween night.

Funk bands, once a rare commodity, are now a dime a dozen as mainstream radio decides that they are acceptable. However, you don't always find a funk band that truly "clicks" -where each member plays an integral role and the sound would suffer in the absence of any one musician.

This is the charisma of Have Soul Will Travel, and you don't even have to see them to hear it, just pick up their album. Have Soul will get even the meekest and the least coordinated swaying their hips to their fune-tuned jazz and funk mix. From the opening notes, the listener is hooked by trumpeter Eric Lucero and saxophonist Brent Roses' intricate game of hide-and-go-seek with each other through the scales. In fact, the sax and trumpet parts are so well suited that is is hard to imagine one without the other. Keeping the rhythm steady behind the funk are Kevin O'Day on drums and Tommy Sciple on bass. And making the melody fresh with strong playing and sophisticated solos is "finger-lickin" good guitarist Bert Cotton.

Have Soul Will Travel: Live at the Funky Butt is a groovin' good time no matter where you are. A funk band is just a funk band. But a jazzed-up funk band with soul is... well, travel on over to the record store and find out for yourself.

by music writer: Lisa O'Neill