André 3000 heads to Big Sur with a new album, New Blue Sun, and his flute.

Following the success of 2004’s Album of the Year, Speakerboxx/The Love Below, the big question for Outkast had always been, what’s next?

Big Boi, one half of the famed duo, answered with three solo hip-hop albums over the next two decades. André 3000, however, traded the fame and green plaid slacks for blue striped overalls and a collection of woodwind instruments.

“I play [the flute] in nature a lot. I play, hiking, walking,” he said in a 2023 GQ video interview.

Then late last year, he released the highly anticipated New Blue Sun, a woodwind-inspired instrumental album that also serves as the platform for his upcoming Big Sur performances. But for an artist famous for iconic vocal hooks – think “Ms. Jackson,” “Bombs Over Baghdad,” “Hey Ya” – high-energy dance moves, and a healthy supply of flamboyance, not rapping might be among the most provocative things André 3000 has ever done.

In his words, which also form the title of the first track of New Blue Sun: “I Swear, I Really Wanted To Make A ‘Rap’ Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time.”

These days, André 3000 comes across more as a stoic than a celebrity, cognizant of his transition to middle-age and shockingly humble given his importance to early 21st-century music.

Inspiration for New Blue Sun came from a wide range of musical influences, from jazz legends like John Coltrane to minimalist composers like Philip Glass. Each song on the new album comes across as both deeply sensual and deeply social. That is, being part of a live audience might be the intended way to listen to this record.

“How can I share my love for discovering this wind instrument with more people?” 3000 said last year. “It will always be a completely new performance every time.”

Songs were often developed and improvised in the studio. Jittery flute inflection gives way to percussion bearing sonic resemblance to early-’80s synth recordings. André 3000’s contribution to music – and art – has always resembled a form of modern-day sensualism. So go see him. Go hear him. Because when this wind blows, it leaves a chill through your skin.

André 3000 performs New Blue Sun live at 7:30pm Tuesday-Thursday, Sept. 3-5. Henry Miller Memorial Library, 48603 Highway 1, Big Sur. $452.73/two-ticket package. 667-2574, henrymiller.org.