July 12, 2002 — James Taylor's new album, October Road, is his first new studio release since 1997's Hourglass, which won that year's Grammy award for Best Pop Album. The new disc will hit stores Tuesday, August 13.

"On the 4th of July," the first single from October Road, premiered on AOL Music, June 7, and in 3 days was streamed more 352,000 times by fans online. The album includes, for the first time on a commercial release, James Taylor's newly recorded version of the seasonal classic "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," which was released to select radio stations across the country in November 2001.

October Road reunites Taylor with producer Russ Titelman, who worked with the artist on Gorilla (1975) and In the Pocket (1976). Appearing on the album's title track are guitar legend Ry Cooder and saxophonist Michael Brecker. (James Taylor won the Best Male Pop Vocal Performance Grammy at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony for "Don't Let Me Be Lonely," a track from Brecker's Nearness of You: The Ballad Book Collection.) JT's daughter, Sally Taylor, sings backing vocals on two tracks -- "My Traveling Star" and "Baby Buffalo."

Songs on October Road include "September Grass," "October Road," "On the 4th of July," "Whenever You're Ready," "Belfast to Boston," "Mean Old Man," "My Traveling Star," "Raised Up Family," "Carry Me On My Way," "Caroline I See You," "Baby Buffalo," and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas." All of the songs -- with the exception of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," which was written by Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin for the 1944 Vincente Minnelli-directed film "Meet Me In St. Louis" starring Judy Garland, and "September Grass," which was written by songwriter John I. Sheldon (who contributes "guitar harmonics" to the track) -- were written for the album by James Taylor.

"All of these songs come from my life," says James Taylor. "I feel as though my life is full. It's full of a lot of different stuff ... family and friends and it feels about right. The reason I can talk about these songs as though they're someone else's is that I don't feel as though I wrote them. I feel as though I heard them. I waited and waited and then I heard them first. I feel great about this batch of songs and that it was worth waiting for."

October Road will also be available in a special limited edition package containing a bonus disc featuring three previously released tracks that have never appeared on a James Taylor album: "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight," the Grammy winning James Taylor and Michael Brecker recording from Nearness of You (2001); the James Taylor-arranged "Benjamin" from the Mark O'Connor/Edgar Meyer/Yo-Yo Ma Best Classical Crossover Grammy winning Appalachian Journey (2000); and "Sailing To Philadelphia," performed by James Taylor and Mark Knopfler, the title track from Knopfler's second solo album (2000). The October Road bonus package also includes a CD extra track featuring interviews with James Taylor and Russ Titelman and behind-the-scenes in-the-studio footage shot during the recording of the album.

Over the course of his career, James Taylor has earned 40 gold, platinum, and multi-platinum awards for a timeless catalog running from 1970's Sweet Baby James to 1997's Hourglass to 1998's platinum-selling Live at the Beacon Theatre DVD/VHS release. Taylor's first Greatest Hits album earned him the RIAA's elite Diamond Award, given for sales in excess of 10 million units in the United States. For his extraordinary achievements, James Taylor was honored with the 1998 Century Award, Billboard magazine's highest accolade, bestowed for distinguished creative achievement. The year 2000 saw Taylor's induction into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the prestigious Songwriter's Hall of Fame.