Background vocals: Laura Creamer-Dunville, Jean McClain, Debra L. Henry, Bona Cheri Wells.

Includes liner notes by Bruce Hornsby.

Personnel: Bruce Hornsby (vocals, accordion, piano, organ); Phil Collins (vocals, bongos, tambourine, background vocals); Bonnie Raitt (vocals, background vocals); Pat Metheny (guitar, sitar); Jerry Garcia, John Bigham, Tony Berg, Waddy Wachtel, Wayne Pooley (guitar); Laura Roelofs Park (violin, balloons); John McLaughlin Williams (violin); Beverly K. Baker (viola); William Conita (cello); Branford Marsalis (saxophone, soprano saxophone, horns); Dr. Alex Paterson, Philip Koslow, Alan B. Paterson, George Harple, Adam Lesnick (French horn); Roy Muth, George A. Gailes III (horns, background vocals); Tim Struggle, Glenn Wilson, John D'earth (horns); Dave Duncan (midi); Omar Hakim (drums, percussion); Jeff Lorber (drums, programming, loops); John Molo (drums); Lamont Coward (percussion); Debra Henry, Tim Streagle, Laura Cramer-Dunville, Larry Williams , Laura Satterfield, Pauline Wilson, Phillip Ingram, Jean McClain (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Keith "KC" Cohen; David Leonard; Wayne Pooley.

Audio Remixer: Tom Lord-Alge.

Liner Note Author: Bruce Hornsby.

Recording information: Acme Studios; Bruce Hornsby's Home.

Photographers: Carey Wilhelm; Greg Gorman.

Unknown Contributor Roles: Dave Duncan; Debra Henry.

Leaving behind the Range, Bruce Hornsby trades heartland rock for a cooler, jazzier sound with Harbor Lights, an album that nonetheless retains his affinity for sincere portraits of American life, love, and heartache. The title track is a humid, celebratory song that evokes a romantic summer evening in the South, setting the stage for a collection of humanistic songs. If the album has an underlying theme, it's the necessity of seeing yourself and the ones you love through the hard times as well as the good. The purely upbeat songs, like "Rainbow's Cadillac" and "What a Night," are counterbalanced by the sober "Fields of Gray" and "Tide Will Rise," and the cultural commentary of "Talk of the Town." The music is uniformly excellent, with Hornsby's piano work blending seamlessly into the rich arrangements. Each song usually ends with an extended instrumental section, but these flow naturally instead of feeling like tacked-on jam sessions. And Hornsby isn't just showing off here, as he lets other voices, like Branford Marsalis' sax and Pat Metheny's guitar, get their say. In later albums, Hornsby's focus on music would tend to overtake his lyrical content, but Harbor Lights marks the point at which he found the right balance between virtuosic playing and personal storytelling. ~ Skyler Miller