In The Fog Of Love Flat Third Shout. Starting with three magnificent cymbal rolls, we are brought into the atmospheric world of Flat Third Shout and their visions of cool jazz, creative pieces which speak almost from another time and place. The following pieces are part of the atmospheric jazz which Flat Third Shout has been developing in its last four albums. This one gets us the closest to what we were hearing in our heads long before we got to the studio. Adam Swall leads the album with percussion on three magnificent cymbal rolls while Mike Halfor leads us into the melody with his sweet glides from note to note on lead guitar. Michelle Ende’, the composer leads us off with some stirring piano against guitar. The trio builds to a climax of stirring anthems in You Are Stardust. Clocking Midnight begins in a 60s mood with Russ Stevenson on the Hammond B3 and Debbie Smith on the Flute. Al Choley brings on the heat with his muted trumpet, and the boys from The Bay Area Chamber Works bring their fabulous Trombones to bear on the music. All of it speaks to nervous energy waiting for something to happen. Michelle Ende’ on piano, Max Davine on Clarinet and Adam Swall on percussion and drums open up Strolling Home With You Tonight, a sauntering romp in the music with its own brand of romance. Russ Stevenson on the keyboards opens up the title track, In The Fog of Love, while Al Choley introduces the melody. The opening is haunting and far off, as if from another world. Michelle Ende’ sparingly adds the piano as atmosphere in this romantic piece of the joy and despair, the thorough confusion that only love can bring. The whole band is in on this one. With Dear Friends adds Ron Proud with the Sax and Michelle Ende’ on the piano, with Adam Swall on percussion and drums, while Al Choley chimes in a little later with his muted trumpet followed by Max Davine on clarinet. This piece is dedicated to the joy of making music and nothing more. We had a ball with this one. Stomp Ramble and Roll begins off quietly enough with piano (Michelle Ende’) and percussion/drums (Adam Swall). A tribute to Old New Orleans Torch songs, this one is. Russ Stevenson joins in on keyboard. The group gathers some steam in the right direction as they stomp, ramble, and roll themselves through this sweet sassy melody. Daydream is introduce by Michelle Ende’ on piano, joined by Adam Swall on percussion and drums, and Al Choley on the muted trumpet. A piece of melancholy sprinkled with the hopes of love and redemption in lighter chord veins. In The Early Morning speaks to the sunrise hours, before the heat and business of the day. One of the pieces left over from the Key West Album entitled Playtime, the piece fits in here nicely. Mike Halfor on the guitar opens with Russ Stevenson on the keyboards to create an air of mystery and expectation (Adam Swall in on the very faintest of percussion). The sweet guitar melody is taken up by Debbie Smith on the Flute and then Al Choley on Trumpet. A nice tropical breeze is created by the efforts of these fine musicians and if you close your eyes, you can see the sun shimmering over the early morning waves. Here My Love was the original title track and the album title until the band fell in love with In The Fog of Love. Michelle Ende’, some of the gals from the Bay Area Chamber Works on strings, and of course Adam Swall on percussion and drums. We were going to leave Sunrise off from this album as we thought is might be too redundant, but Al Choley persuaded us with a great trumpet solo, to leave the piece on the album. Of course the rest of the gang join in at various points to create a menagerie of light and air, a little bit of sass, lots of blues, and a general bit of whimsy. One of Ms. Ende’s finer pieces, we think. Remember When We is one of those melancholy “what might have been” pieces which Ms. Ende’ is so fond of composing, but which we, in all honesty, love playing. Adam Swall graces the melody with some light percussion and just a little bit of drum. Sunset closes out the album, and if you have not guessed by now, with all of the sunrises and sunsets, and early mornings and so forth, yes, we are from Florida. Everyone is in on this and we invited John Barnes to help out with some mighty bass accompaniment. The remainder of these usual suspects; are heard in various parts of this lush and final piece of longing, love, beauty, and the promise of night. The band trusted me with the notes. Hope I did not let them down – Russ Stevenson