New Moon Shine

New Moon Shine is the thirteenth studio album by singer-songwriter James Taylor released in 1991. The album peaked at number 37 on the Billboard 200 chart and certified platinum. The album was producer-pianist Don Grolnick's sixth and final studio album with Taylor prior to his death in 1996 at age 48 from Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Reception

The album received generally positive reviews; The New York Times’s Stephen Holden observed that New Moon Shine "finds [Taylor] near the top of his form in songs like 'Slap Leather,' a playfully pungent rock-and-roll critique of social and environmental ills, and 'Copperline,' a nostalgic ballad remembering his North Carolina roots."

Fairport Convention covered "The Frozen Man" on their album Old New Borrowed Blue.

Track listing

All songs written by James Taylor unless otherwise noted.

1. "Copperline" (Reynolds Price, Taylor) – 4:22
2. "Down in the Hole" – 5:15
3. "(I've Got to) Stop Thinkin' 'Bout That" (Danny Kortchmar, Taylor) – 4:00
4. "Shed a Little Light" – 3:52
5. "The Frozen Man" – 3:54
6. "Slap Leather" – 2:00
7. "Like Everyone She Knows" – 4:56
8. "One More Go Round" – 4:40
9. "Everybody Loves to Cha Cha Cha" (Sam Cooke) – 3:37
10. "Native Son" – 3:49
11. "Oh, Brother" – 4:24
12. "The Water Is Wide" (Traditional) – 3:00

Personnel

• James Taylor – lead vocals, acoustic guitar (1–3, 5–12), arrangements (12)
• Don Grolnick – acoustic piano, organ, synthesizers, arrangements (12)
• Clifford Carter – synthesizers, synthesizer programming
• Dan Stein – synthesizer programming (3, 5)
• Danny Kortchmar – acoustic guitar (3, 5)
• Michael Landau – electric guitars
• Jerry Douglas – Dobro
• Jimmy Johnson – bass guitar (1–8, 10–12)
• Tony Levin – bass guitar (9)
• Carlos Vega – drums (1, 2, 4, 6–8, 10–12)
• Steve Jordan – drums (3, 5)
• Steve Gadd – drums (9)
• Don Alias – percussion
• Mark O'Connor – violin
• Bob Mintzer – tenor saxophone (3)
• Branford Marsalis – soprano saxophone (7)
• Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone (8, 9)
• Dave Bargeron – trombone (3)
• Randy Brecker – trumpet (3)
• Valerie Carter – backing vocals
• David Lasley – backing vocals
• Kate Markowitz – backing vocals
• Arnold McCuller – backing vocals
• Phillip Ballou – backing vocals (10)

Production

• Producers – Don Grolnick (all tracks); Danny Kortchmar (Tracks 3 & 5).
• Production Coordinator – Peter Stiglin
• Recorded and Mixed by James Farber
• Assistant Engineers – John Aguto, Patrick Dillett, Rob Jazco, Nathaniel Kunkel, Matthew Lamonica and Katherine Miller.
• Mix Assistant – Katherine Miller
• Recorded at The Power Station and Skyline Studios (New York, NY); A&M Studios (Hollywood, CA); Studio F (Los Angeles, CA).
• Mixed at Skyline Studios
• Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound (New York, NY).
• Art Direction – Arnold Levine
• Design Assistants – Stefanie Dash, Lisa Sparagano and Marcus Wyns.
• Photography – Lee Crum