Saxophonist
Candy Dulfer
's sophomore album, 1993's
Sax-A-Go-Go
, built upon the smooth jazz of her debut while also playing up more of her hip-hop and dance music influences. Once again working with producer/multi-instrumentalist
Ulco Bed
,
Dulfer
delved even deeper into the club-ready funk and acid jazz that was in its heyday during the early '90s. These are synthesizer and drum machine-heavy productions showcasing
's high-energy saxophone lines. In that sense, tracks like the title cut (featuring rapper
Easy Mo Bee
) and the swinging funk number "Bob's Jazz" sound like instrumental takes on the hip-hop and R&B sound of groups like
TLC
and
Bell Biv DeVoe
. A slick studio production for sure, but
's longstanding love of artists like
Maceo Parker
Miles Davis
, and
Prince
came through. In keeping with this more organic, swaggering sound,
covered '70s jazz-funk pioneer
Les McCann
's classic "Compared to What" and delivered a convincing take on
Average White Band
's "Pick Up the Pieces." The result is an album that successfully conveyed
's own jazz and funk-based style, just as it celebrated her standing as the queen of smooth jazz party music. ~ Matt Collar