The Promise is the eighteenth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire released in May 2003 on Kalimba Music. The album peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 5 on the Billboard Top Independent Albums chart.

Ralph Johnson – percussion, backing vocals, drum programming (13, 15)
Wayne Vaughn – keyboards (1, 11), drums (1, 11), backing vocals, horn arrangements

Gregory Curtis – backing vocals (1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 11, 16), keyboards (2, 4, 5, 9, 16), drum programming (2, 4, 9, 16)

Robert Brookins – backing vocals (5, 12), keyboards (12), drum programming (12)

Tim Kelley – keyboards (8), bass (8), drums (8), drum programming (8), arrangements (8)

Cameron Marcarelli – additional drum programming (3, 5)

John Paris – drums (5, 12, 14)

Daniel de los Reyes – percussion (2, 16)

Paulinho da Costa – percussion (4, 9)

Daryl "Munyungo" Jackson – percussion (11)

Verdine White – bass (1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16)

Greg "G-Mo" Moore – guitars (1, 11, 12)

Eric Walls – guitars (2, 16)

Darrell Crooks – guitars (4, 9)

Chris Rodriguez – guitars (5)

Bob Robinson – guitars (8)

Carlos Rios – guitars (14)

Preston Glass – keyboard programming (3)

Alan Hewitt – keyboards (6)

Bill Meyers – acoustic piano solo (6)

Freddie Ravel – acoustic piano (9)

Raymond Crossley – keyboards (13, 15)

Wayne Linsey – keyboards (13, 15)

Myron McKinley – keyboards (14), rhythm section arrangements (14)

Tom Mgrdichian – keyboards (14), string arrangements (14)

Tollak Ollestad – harmonica (12, 14)

Philip Bailey – backing vocals (1, 2, 16), lead vocals (2, 5, 8, 9, 12)

Maurice White – lead vocals (1, 4, 5, 8, 11, 14, 16), backing vocals (1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 16), kalimba (1, 13, 15), horn arrangements (1, 14), vocals (13, 15)

Sheila Hutchinson – backing vocals (1, 4, 11)

Howard McCrary – backing vocals (1, 11)

Wanda Vaughn – backing vocals (1, 5, 11)

Fred White – backing vocals (4, 12, 14)

Angie Stone – lead vocals (5)

B. David Whitworth – backing vocals (5, 12)

Krystal Johnson – backing vocals (8)

Gary Bias – saxophones (1, 5, 9, 11, 12), flute (11)

Gerald Albright – alto sax solo (4, 9)

Valerie King – flute (11)

George Bohanon – trombone (1, 11)

Reggie Young – trombone (1, 5, 9, 11, 12, 14)

Bill Reichenbach Jr. – trombone (5, 9, 12)

Andy Martin – trombone (14)

Ray Brown – trumpet (1, 11, 12, 14), horn arrangements (1, 5, 14), flugelhorn solo (12), flugelhorn (14)

Michael "Patches" Stewart – trumpet (1, 11, 14), flugelhorn (14)

Gary Grant – trumpet (5, 9, 12)

Jerry Hey – trumpet (5, 9, 12), horn arrangements (5, 9, 12)

Oscar Brashear – trumpet (14), flugelhorn (14)

Benjamin Wright – horn arrangements (11)