Pop and Jazz Reviews : Dulfer’s Funky L.A. Debut Has Sax Appeal

Candy Dulfer has to be the only 22-year-old female Dutch alto saxophonist with film-starlet looks ever to front an R&B;/funk instrumental band. Even if there were another woman with these credentials, she certainly doesn’t have album sales figures to match those of Dulfer’s “Saxuality,” which is nearing the 700,000 mark--remarkable for an instrumental collection.

But in her L.A. debut at the Roxy on Monday, Dulfer showed that she’s no novelty act. Dulfer, whose popularity was boosted by appearances on Arsenio Hall’s TV show, doesn’t have astounding technique, but she does have what her style requires: a soulful tone and a strong feel for the music.

Dulfer was supported by a first-rate band featuring her producing-composing collaborator Ulco Bed on guitar. In a format somewhat like a James Brown revue, with three backup singers doing occasional lead vocals, the band played nearly two hours’ worth of blistering, mostly instrumental tunes. This is clearly the best white-funk outfit since the heyday of the Average White Band back in the mid ‘70s.

The only fans who might have been disappointed are those who expected a jazz set because Dulfer’s album tops the jazz charts. But by her own admission, Dulfer is strictly an aspiring jazz artist. In the funk genre, though, she’s the undisputed queen.