Andy Snitzer: Some Quiet Place

Andy Snitzer is one of those musicians who can be hard to categorize. He’s often claimed by smooth jazz, but he’s not the kind of guy to get airplay or join the latest package tour, although he did play in Paul Simon’s band all summer. Snitzer’s also respected by the mainstream crowd, for the most part, and there’s no denying his Sanbornesque abandon on the tenor sax.

Some Quiet Place was originally released in 1999 and quickly got lost in the shuffle, which is perhaps why Native Language has remastered the CD. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that some guy named Chris Botti is on the disc, as are pianists Bob James and Philippe Saisse. Just in case you purchased the CD back in ’99 and are undecided about whether the remastered version is worth your bucks, you should know that there’s a new song written by Chuck Loeb, who also performed on the original album.

Originally Published October 1, 2006