Candy Dulfer, a Dutch smooth jazz altosaxophonist, was born on 19 September 1969. She started playing when she was six years old. Her band Funky Stuff was founded by her at the age of fourteen. Saxuality (1990), her debut album, was nominated for a Grammy Award. Dulfer has nine studio albums, two live albums and one compilation album. Her father Hans Dulfer, Prince and Van Morrison are some of her musical collaborators. Candy meets…(2007) is a Dutch television series in which she interviews other musicians. Candy Dulfer, the daughter of Hans Dulfer, was born in Amsterdam on 19 September 1969. At five years old, she began to play the drums. She began playing the soprano and alto saxophone at six years old. She switched to alto saxophone at seven years old and began playing in the local Jeugd Doet Leven (“Youth Brings Life”) band in Zuiderwoude. Dulfer was the first person to perform solo on stage in her father’s band De Perikels (“The Perils”) She recorded her first recordings at the age of 11 for De Perikels’ album I Didn’t Ask (1981). She was 12 years old when she joined Rosa King’s Ladies Horn section of the North Sea Jazz Festival. Dulfer claims King encouraged her to be a leader of her own band. Dulfer, then fourteen years old, started Funky Stuff in 1984. Dulfer’s group performed all over the Netherlands, and was the opening act at two Madonna European concerts in 1987. Dulfer was invited by Prince to perform an improvised solo onstage during one of his European shows in 1988. Dulfer was a guest musician in Prince’s 1989 “Partyman” video. Dulfer was a session musician with Eurythmics guitarist Dave Stewart. He also performed as a guest musician at Pink Floyd’s Knebworth performance in 1990. Dulfer’s 1990 debut album, Saxuality was released. It was nominated and certified gold for sales exceeding half a million worldwide. The Billboard Hot 100 chart ranked her song “Lily Was Here #11”. Dulfer also had jazz chart hits like “For the Love Of You” (Finsbury Park and Cafe 67). Dulfer was also featured saxophonist for Van Morrison’s 1993 album A Night in San Francisco. She performed at the 1995 World Liberty Concert with the Alan Parsons Project. Dulfer worked with Hans Dulfer, her father, on Dulfer Dulfer 2001. 2007 saw the release of Candy Store, her ninth studio album. The album was ranked #2 on Billboard’s Top Contemporary Jazz Charts. The #1 spot in the Smooth Jazz National Airplay charts was occupied by Candy Store and “L.A. Citylights”. Dulfer is a self-taught musician, with a little training in a band and some lessons. Candy Dulfer presented and interviewed in Candy meets …, 2007’s television program for NPS. Sheila E., Maceo, Hans Dulfer and Van Morrison were among the guests in the series. Wikipedia
