Candy Store

• Artist: Candy Dulfer
• Rating:
• Release Date: September 18, 2007
• Type: Lyrics are included with the album
• Genre: Jazz

Review

True to the cute, winking title of her Heads Up debut, the glamorous and funky Dutch sax superstar offers a tasty little bagful of everything to please the funky, smooth, and exotic taste buds of jazz and R&B fans around the world. There's feisty, blistering jamming with multiple horn textures and jangling guitars (the sizzling opening track "Candy"), easy grooving, melodic old-school soul ("L.A. Citylights"), raw and thumping, brassy party singalongs ("Music = Love," the buoyant and breezy "Summertime"), and even a scorching Latin/Caribbean island dance-along ("La Cabana") and a jaunt to Jamaica (the jumpy, lilting "Smokin' Gun"). Dulfer's always had a little of that classic David Sanborn touch in her sound, and that inspiration shines through on the low-key, late-night vibing of "11:58," one of a few rich ballads here. The dreamy '70s jazz-soul trip "Soulsax" draws the listener back, ever so subtly, to the Earth, Wind & Fire style of balladeering. All of these add up to a truly inspired and energized date that gloriously brings Dulfer back to the hard hitting, emotionally compelling magic she achieved on her second album, 1993's Sax-A-Go-Go. She'd been a consistent hitmaker since then, but was never quite as freewheeling and playful as she was in the early days. In the intervening years, Dulfer developed from a strong natural pop player into a true jazz stylist and improviser, and the maturity shines through even as the party continues. Best of all, she thankfully pulls 180 degrees away from the over the top electronic production of 2003's Right in My Soul, a disc that, although meaning well, covered her rich R&B and jazz heart with too much machinery. While Dulfer collaborates with longtime partners Thomas Bank and Ulco Bed, keyboardist, bassist, and vocalist Chance Howard -- a longtime member of Prince's band -- adds an extra charge to the mix with the same bounce and fire that he added to her live performances in the early 2000s. Candy Store was easily one of contemporary jazz's finest and funkiest releases of 2007. [This version of Candy Store includes the bonus track "Finsbury Park, Cafe 67 (2007 Version)."] ~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Candy	Chance Howard	Candy Dulfer	(4:11)
L.A. Citylights	Thomas Bank, Candy Dulfer, Chance Howard	Candy Dulfer	(3:45)
Music = Love	Thomas Bank, Ulco Bed, Candy Dulfer	Candy Dulfer	(3:54)
La Cabana	Thomas Bank, Candy Dulfer	Candy Dulfer	(3:03)
11:58	Ulco Bed, Candy Dulfer, Thomas Bank	Candy Dulfer	(4:02)
Summertime	Candy Dulfer, Thomas Bank, Ulco Bed	Candy Dulfer	(4:28)
Soulsax	Ulco Bed, Candy Dulfer, Thomas Bank	Candy Dulfer	(4:24)
Smokin' Gun	Ulco Bed	Candy Dulfer	(4:51)
Back to Juan	Ulco Bed, Thomas Bank, Candy Dulfer, Chance Howard	Candy Dulfer	(4:27)
If I Ruled the World	Thomas Bank, Ulco Bed, Candy Dulfer	Candy Dulfer	(4:43)
Everytime	Candy Dulfer, Thomas Bank, Ulco Bed	Candy Dulfer	(4:32)
Finsbury Park, Cafe 67 [2007 Version]	Thomas Bank, Candy Dulfer	Candy Dulfer	(4:03)

Credits

Candy Dulfer (Vocals (Background)), Frans Hendrix (Mixing), Manuel Hugas (Bass), Thomas Bank (Fender Rhodes), Candy Dulfer (Executive Producer), John Blackwell (Drums), Candy Dulfer (Producer), Candy Dulfer (Fender Rhodes), Ulco Bed (Producer), Thomas Bank (Producer), Candy Dulfer (Sax (Tenor)), John Blackwell (Drum Fills), Thomas Bank (Horn Arrangements), Candy Dulfer (Sax (Baritone)), Candy Dulfer (Sax (Alto)), Dave Love (Executive Producer), Candy Dulfer (Horn Arrangements), Thomas Bank (Programming), Thomas Bank (Soloist), Frans Hendrix (Mastering), Candy Dulfer (Vocals), Thomas Bank (Keyboards), Ulco Bed (Bass), Thomas Bank (Engineer), Jan Van Duikeren (Horn Arrangements), Ulco Bed (Guitar), Jan Van Duikeren (Trumpet)