Right In My Soul

Smooth jazz superwoman Candy Dulfer is the total package — she's pretty, dresses well, plays a mean sax, and sings a bit. At a time when the Dutch smooth jazz star's idol and mentor saxophonist, David Sanborn, released one of the most organic, stripped-down, and funky albums of his career, Dulfer seems intent on "gussying-up" songs with what somebody must have perceived as "hip" electronic production. Many jazz musicians have attempted such electro-jazz productions in the name of Miles Davis-styled boundary-pushing, only to end up with weak and boring albums that are neither avant-garde enough for jazz fans nor hip enough for electronic music fans — Herbie Hancock's Future 2 Future and Tim Hagans' Animation-Imagination come to mind. Right in My Soul is an R&B album of smooth jazz wrapped in pseudo-electronica beats and loops. Having added singing to her act a few albums back, Dulfer mainly focuses on vocal pop tunes, utilizing her saxophone for lite-funky asides. Some of the tracks are pleasant enough, featuring catchy, melodic hooks and passable improvisation. The production here can be a problem, as it utilizes elements of electronic music styles such as jungle, drum'n'bass, and hip-hop jazz.