Andy Snitzer has performed and recorded with a veritable who’s who of contemporary music artists. From Eric Clapton to Beck, Aretha Franklin to Naughty by Nature, Dr. John to Christina Aguilera, performances with these artists and many others have showcased Andy’s passionate sound and melodic style, and have earned him a place in the elite ranks of contemporary saxophonists. As a member of the Rolling Stones’ Voodoo Lounge and Bridges to Babylon world tours, Andy has performed worldwide before millions in over 40 countries. As a member of Paul Simon’s touring band (a position he currently holds), Andy joins a world-class assemblage of musicians from Africa, Europe and the USA in a band of widespread critical acclaim. Andy’s three solo records, “Ties that Bind”, “In the Eye of the Storm” and “Some Quiet Place, set the bar for inventiveness and creativity in Contemporary Jazz, and showcase Andy’s outstanding ability as a player, writer, drum programmer and record producer.

The lush and melodic, sonically adventurous set artfully blends retro touches in groove and instrumentation with electronic-driven soundscapes and patternbased motions. While keeping the rich, emotional thrust of his horn front and center, the creatively restless composer and artist continues to expand the textural palette he inaugurated on Traveler (and continued exploring on 2013’s The Rhythm).

The songs on the provocatively titled American Beauty create a thoughtful ideological response to Traveler. Snitzer celebrates wonderful memories of the past while sharing the joy of his life “here in the moment.” This album is simultaneously an ode to a nascent American musical life, full of hope and dreams, and a reflection on that same life after three decades of work, travel, and return to home. “On Traveler,” Snitzer says, “I wrote many of the songs in cities across the globe, responding to inspiration from some beautiful, exotic, far away places; places that I am not from…

American Beauty is a response to the process that led to “Traveler”; a reflection on my home, conceived and composed here; on experiences, people, and places, through formative years in the late 70s and early 80s, and also on life as it is now.” American Beauty features special guest performances by Fourplay guitarist Chuck Loeb, who rocks and jangles on the old school R&B jam “Mondays at Gert’s”; and Rick Braun, whose flugelhorn adds a dreamy sensuality to the playful and easy thumping soul-jazz tune “She Loves Me.”

American Beauty officially releases on Oct 23rd, and from right now until that date the album is available at a special presale price. And, the first 50 copies come autographed, if you like that kind of thing. To access the presale, just go to AndySnitzer.com and click the “Store” link in the upper right hand corner. The album features a stellar cast of musical peers.