Funky-soul-jazz-blues-jam fusion. 

Eric Lindell is all that on his new cd “Low on Cash, Rich in Love” or as he sings in the title cut; “I’m rich in soul and other things.” A Lot of other things. He’s been recording since 1996 but it was a move to New Orleans nearly ten years ago that inspired him to incorporate all the elements of that famous city into his own musical gumbo.  Two years ago his major label debut “Change in the Weather” a compilation of his first five albums, plus an appearance at the New Orleans Jazz Festival heralded him as a promising up and comer. The new album puts him in a class by himself simply because there’s now single style of music that he can be pinned down to.

 There’s a little bit of Van Morrison soul in the opening track “Lay Back Down”, some James Brown funk in the title track, Delbert McClinton roadhouse in “Josephine” and “Mind Your Business” and Sam Cooke R & B in the hypnotic “Tried and True.” By the time you get to the album’s only cover, a redefining version of Gil Scott-heron’s “Lady Day and John Coltrane” you’ll be ready to book your tickets to one of those blues cruises that he’s been featured on recently.

Lindell’s solid guitar lines rolling above the tight but sparse bass, drums and horn riffs with a little harmonica and a lot of blue eyed soul, make this a unique party record. The hard-edged funk grooves will pull you in but the emotion he packs into every song will have you coming back for many more listens…anybody up for a road trip to New Orleans?

Listen for songs from Eric Lindell’s album “Low on Cash, Rich in Love” all this week on Paul Shugrue’s new music show “Out of the Box” on Hampton Roads public radio 89.5 WHRV Monday through Thursday from 7pm until 9pm, Saturday afternoon from 1pm to 5pm and on-demand at www.whrv.org/outofthebox.