Born and raised in Philadelphia, he however went on to university in Miami where he was discovered by Bob James. Although an excellent jazz man, he has crossed over into the mainstream and has toured with the Rolling Stones and Aretha Franklin amongst others. Andy Snitzer plays the saxophone in a plaintive, emotional tone that literally pulls at the strings of the listener's heart. He has the pathos of the late, great Michael Brecker, the gutsiness of Ernie Watts, and the uncanny human voice-quality of Wayne Shorter.