On April 8, 2011, “Hear Music” label released “So Beautiful or So What”, the twelfth Paul Simon studio album. It was recorded in 2010, at Paul Simon’s cottage in New Canaan, Connecticut, Paul Simon’s summer home in New York, and was produced by Phil Ramone and Paul Simon.

Personnel:

• Paul Simon – vocals, acoustic and electric twelve string-guitar, nylon string guitar, bells, glockenspiel, lyricist, percussion, whistle
• Vincent Nguini – acoustic and electric guitar
• Mick Rossi – piano
• David Finck – bass
• Jim Oblon – bass, electric and slide guitar, drums, percussion
• Steve Shehan –bass, brushes, crotale, cymbals, djembe, glass harp, resonator, saz, stick and talking drum, angklung
• Skip La Plante – gong, harp, wind chimes
• Karaikudi R. Mani – ensemble percussion, vocal percussion
• Nancy Zeltsman – marimba
• Charles Pillow – clarinet
• Mary Abt – clarinet
• Michael White – clarinet
• Sara Cutler – flute, harp
• Elizabeth Mann – flute
• Pamela Sklar – flute
• Diane Lesser – horn
• Lois Martin – viola
• Desiree Elsevier – viola
• Vincent Lionti – viola
• Richard Locker – cello
• Jeanne LeBlanc – cello
• Steve Gorn – bansuri
• Yacouba Sissoko – kora
• Etienne Stadwijk – celeste
• Joshua Swift – dobro
• Gabe Witcher – fiddle
• Chris Bear – electronics
• Edie Brickell – backing vocals
• Doyle Lawson – backing vocals
• Lulu Simon – backing vocals
• Gil Goldstein – arrangements
• Andy Smith – engineer
• Phil Ramone – mixing
• Greg Calbi – mastering
• Geoff Gans – art direction, design
• Sven Geier – cover image
• Mark Seliger – photography
• Kevin Mazur – band photography
• Elvis Costello – liner notes

Track listing:

All tracks by Paul Simon.

1. Getting Ready for Christmas Day
2. The Afterlife
3. Dazzling Blue
4. Rewrite
5. Love and Hard Times
6. Love Is Eternal Sacred Light
7. Amulet
8. Questions for the Angels
9. Love & Blessings
10. So Beautiful or So What