1) Come In from the
Rain What a song! I first
heard this song when I was a senior in
high school - we're not going to say what
year that was - let's just say it was a
few years ago. It was a simple arrangement
for voice and piano and Ms. Manchester's
vocal made the song so very memorable to
me. I had a chance to see her in concert
in November of 2000. It was incredible to
hear her live performance of the song I
love so much. This is one of my signature
pieces - and one that I will always have
in my treasure box of favorites. One of my
favorite sounds of nature is the sound of
rain and distant thunder, with the
assistance of my engineer Rick, we were
able to include it on this arrangement. Piano: Aaron Flores 2) Smile This was the very first
song that I recorded for this CD and I was
a complete basket case. I was so very
nervous that my hands were literally
shaking. As I eased into it and with the
help of my engineer Rick - I was able to
relax and use all those pent up
frustrations and emotions to my advantage.
I could really feel this song as I was
recording it. ..."Smile tho' your heart is
aching, smile even tho' it's breaking,
When there are clouds in the sky, you'll
get by, If you smile through your fear and
sorrow, smile and maybe tomorrow, you'll
see the sun come shining thru for you..."
I worked on this for a long time before I
felt I could let it go and move on...and I
did. Hmmm....was I just talking about a
past relationship or was I talking about
this song? Smile :-) Piano: Aaron Flores 3) I Say a Little
Prayer This is one of my all
time favorite Bacharach tunes. I wished I
had written it. It's such a classic and
whenever I hear Dionne's or Aretha's
version on the radio I almost always have
to sing a duet with them. The song also
plays such an integral part of a scene in
the film "My Best Friend's Wedding" if you
haven't seen it - check it out. I love how
the sax plays off of the piano on this
cut. I really had a blast recording this
one. Anyway, I hope we did it justice. Piano: Aaron Flores 4. Tenderly A classic from the 40's
and a highlight for me on this CD. I
learned the fine art of overlaying musical
tracks as I watched the musicians come in
and do their thing and then watched my
engineer carefully master this cut. I was
fortunate to surround myself with two
exceptional musicians who contributed a
lush accompaniment to my piano solo.
"Tenderly" was a sheer joy to record and I
felt I was able to pour a lot of emotion
into my interpretation. I felt it and hope
you will too. Piano: Aaron Flores 5. Somos Novios This song was written by
one of Mexico's most prolific composers. I
have always enjoyed the Spanish version of
this song - but never liked the English
title or lyrics. The title in English
"It's Impossible" does nothing for me, nor
does it have anything to do with the
original title. If the Spanish title were
literally translated, the song would be
called "We Are Lovers". Here are the first
few lines of the song in Spanish... "We
are lovers - we feel a distinct and
profound love and with that we've taken
the biggest step in this big world. As we
love, we kiss like lovers - we desire, and
at times we argue for no reason - but we
are lovers and we maintain that pure and
unaffected love." I asked my newly found
friend Luis to sing the vocal to this
piece after I first heard him sing in
church. His voice was perfect for this
arrangement. I am quite proud of this
final remixed cut. I hope you can get into
it as much as we did when we recorded it.
Buen provecho - in other words - enjoy! Piano: Aaron Flores 6. Moon River I can remember playing
this song when I was 9 years old at a
local music school talent show. Most kids
who entered - played whatever their piano
teacher's told them to play. My piano
teacher Mrs. Evans, encouraged independent
creativity early on - so what did I play?
"Moon River" of course. Can you guess the
rest of the story? Yes, I won my very
first talent show. My parents were so
proud that they bought me my first piano.
"Moon River" holds a tender spot in my
heart. The violin accompaniment is
extraordinary. Now sit back and chill to
this one. Piano: Aaron Flores 7. A House is Not a
Home I have always been a fan
of composer Burt Bacharach. I mean who can
forget all those Dionne Warwick hits from
the late 60's. "House" is a song I have
played many times over the years and I
have arranged it as I feel it. My friend
John says only I can play this song and
break all the rules of timing. Just as a
footnote: I never play a song as it's
written nor do I play it the same each
time - and this one was no exception. If
you ever get a chance, listen to Dionne's
version and catch the part where she
wistfully sings "a room is not a house,
and a house is not a home when the two of
us are far apart and one of us has a
broken heart". It's timeless. Piano: Aaron Flores 8. You Must Love Me If you missed the film
"Evita" then you might not have heard this
song before. I was always intrigued by the
haunting melody and the finely structured
lyrics. It was originally recorded by an
artist whose name escapes me now. I asked
my long time good friend Felicia to
perform the vocal on this song. I had seen
her mature vocally so much over the years
that I was enthusiastic about including
her on my first CD project. I think the
understated cello and piano arrangement
really work on this cut. Piano: Aaron Flores 9. This is the Moment From the minute I heard
this piece from the Broadway show "Dr.
Jekyl and Mr. Hyde" I just fell in love
with this song. It is such a "drama" song"
full of highs and lows. I asked my good
friend John to arrange the orchestration
on it. I think he did a fabulous job and
I'm quite proud of how it turned out.
Since this is my first CD - I guess...
this is my moment. Piano: Aaron Flores 10. Misty What can you say about a
classic like "Misty"? It's another one of
those gems that I have always included in
my body of work. It has stood the test of
time - originally written in 1954 - it has
been recorded by a who's who of artists.
Well, now you can add one more name to
that list. I had originally planned on
recording this just as a piano solo, but
the more I listened to it, the more I
envisioned a sax whaling in the
background. I was fortunate to hook up
with a simply awesome sax player and here
you have the end result. Groove on my
sisters and brothers! Piano: Aaron Flores 11. Night and Day This song was written
for the 1940 film of the same name and
it's Latin influence is quite evident. I
have always liked Sinatra's version of
this song, but never thought about doing
it myself - until I started this project.
It was on my list of maybes. Well, as you
can see it made the final cut. This piece
was crying out for a rhythm section, so my
engineer Rick put together this really hot
rhythm track to back me up. Talk about a
perfect fit! But, it still needed
something else... Mark Cruz, guitarist
extraordinnaire to the rescue. He filled
in the missing pieces and brought it home
for us. I love the end result and hope you
will too. Cha-cha-cha! Piano: Aaron Flores 12. Strangers in The
Night A bit of trivia. This
song was featured in the1966 Alfred
Hitchcock film called " A Man Could Get
Killed". It is also very closely
associated with Sinatra - who made it an
international hit. This is a tune that I
never tire of and frequently include it
whenever I play gigs. "Strangers" has a
real good flow about it and includes some
high drama moments which of course, I live
for. The sax adds an additional flavor to
the mix. All in all, a very cool song. Piano: Aaron Flores 13. What I Did For
Love I saw the show "A Chorus
Line" in Chicago back in the late 70's and
since then this song has always been part
of my repertoire. While still in college,
I supplemented my income by playing at a
little supper club in the suburbs of
Chicago. I remember patrons stagger over
to the piano where I was playing and start
to sing along to the chorus of this song.
Of course, they were a little under the
influence at the time...but that's another
story. Anyway, it's a bittersweet song
which tells the tale of a struggling
female member of the chorus in the show.
It's continues to be one of the most
requested songs whenever I play at
weddings and other gigs. "Won't forget,
can't regret - what I did for love...." . Piano: Aaron Flores 14. Somos Novios Rick and I were in the
studio doing the remixing of this song
when I first heard the instrumental
version of this track. Up until then, I
had only been listening to the vocal
version. The guitar and violin sounded so
great with just the piano that I decided I
wanted to include this track as well. I
discussed this with the producer and it
was a done deal. By the way, did I mention
I was the producer? Piano: Aaron Flores 15. La Vie En Rose Another treasure from
the past. Originally written in 1947 and
introduced to the world by the great
French chanteuse Edith Piaf. It spoke of
what the French speak of best - amour.
Whenever I perform this piece - it never
fails, someone will come up to me and ask
me "what's the name of that song, it's so
beautiful". I agree, it is a beautiful
song. I always thought it would be so cool
to have an accordionist playing in the
background when I performed it. I made
myself a promise that if I ever got a
chance to record it, I would get an
accordionist. And boy, did I ever! I was
placed in touch with legendary
accordionist Ponty Bone who has worked
with such diverse artists as: Bob Dylan,
Linda Ronstadt, and George Strait.
Needless to say, I was quite honored to
work with him. Now close your eyes and
imagine yourself sitting outside a Paris
cafe and sipping on a little something. J'espère que tu aimeras
ce chanson - which translated means - I
hope you enjoy this song. PIano: Aaron Flores 16. Valentine I listen to the radio
constantly and if a song has a good piano
groove on it, I'm right there. This one
had a great piano part. I envisioned only
one person to interpret it vocally - my
friend and fellow musician Kris Nielsen. I
asked her to participate in my project and
she immediately said yes. Not only did she
sing on this cut, she also arranged the
orchestration for the track. How cool was
that? I love Kris' sultry voice and was
very happy to have her on my first CD. Try
slow dancing to this one with the lights
out... I did. Piano: Aaron Flores 17. Over the Rainbow This song was placed at
the end of the CD for a reason. You see, I
have played this song forever and a day.
No matter where I have played or when I
have played - it is the song I always
close my sets with. It remains at the top
of my list of most treasured songs and
another one I consider one of my signature
pieces. It is also special for another
reason; it was one of my late mother's
favorites, so it truly takes on a new
meaning whenever I perform it now. My
gifted friend Kris arranged a beautiful
orchestration for "Rainbow". I had an
emotional moment when I first heard the
rough cut of this song. I kept thinking my
mom would have just loved it. This song is
dedicated to my mom - Angela Flores. She
will always be in my heart of hearts. Piano: Aaron Flores First and foremost, I
thank my heavenly father for giving me the
talent and bestowing on me so many
blessings. I thank my parents who loved
and believed in me no matter what and
always encouraged me. To my dear Aunt Beba
- after hearing you play the piano at the
tender age of six- you inspired me to
learn the piano. To my generous and
wonderful extended family - you have
always been there for me. I dedicate this
CD to you all - I love you very much. To all my loyal friends
- you know who you are - I know who I can
turn to when I need to talk, support,
advice and above all, the truth. Thanks
for being in my life. To Kris, Felicia, Luis,
and John - my undying gratitude and thanks
for your commitment to my project and for
sharing your awesome talents with me and
the world. To the other talented
musicians, Javier, Ponty, Mike, Mark and
Brian - many thanks for your passionate
and inspired performances. And...last but not
least, I was so very blessed to have found
the best recording engineer in Austin.
Rick DeLellis, you are amazing. You took a
recording novice like me and were able to
transform my dream into reality. This was
truly a labor of love for me. Thanks for
being so patient and understanding with
me. I am so grateful and proud to have
worked with you on my first CD. Photography: Hair Stylist: Sound and Design: Web design by:
John Thomason Produced by:
Aaron Flores Until the next
project... Copyright 2001, All
Rights Reserved
Music by Melissa Manchester &
Lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager
Cello: Brian Standefer
Special Effects: Rick DeLellis
Music by Charles Chaplin & Lyrics
by John Turner & Geoffrey Parsons
Violin: Javier Chaparro
Music by Burt Bacharach & Lyrics by
Hal David
Bass Arrangement: John Thomason
Soprano Saxaphone: Mike Malone
Music by Walter Gross & Lyrics by Jack
Laurence
Violin: Javier Chaparro
Flute and String Arrangement: John
Thomason
Music & Lyrics by Armando
Manzanero
Violin: Javier Chaparro
Acoustic Guitar: Mark Cruz
Vocal: Luis Ortiz
Music by Henry Mancini & Lyrics by
Johnny Mercer
Violin: Javier Chaparro
Music by Burt Bacharach & Lyrics by
Hal David
String Arrangement: John Thomason
Music by Andrew Lloyd Weber & Lyrics
by Tim Rice
Cello: Brian Standefer
Vocal: Felicia Hernandez
Music by Frank Wildhorn & Lyrics by
Leslie Bricusse
Choral and String Arrangement: John
Thomason
Music by Erroll Garner & Lyrics by
Johnny Burke
Soprano Saxophone: Mike Malone
Music & Lyrics by Cole Porter
Rhythm Arrangement: Rick DeLellis
Acoustic Guitar: Mark Cruz
Music by Bert Kaempfert & Lyrics by
Charles Singleton & Eddie Snyder
Tenor Saxaphone: Mike Malone
Music by Marvin Hamlisch & Lyrics by
Ed Kleban
French Horn Arrangement: John Thomason
Music & Lyrics by Armando Manzanero
Violin: Javier Chaparro
Acoustic Guitar: Mark Cruz
Music by Louiguy & Lyrics by Edith
Piaf
French Muzette Accordion: Ponty Bone
Music & Lyrics by Jim Brickman &
Jack Kugell
String Arrangement and Vocal: Kris Nilsen
Music by Harold Arlen & Lyrics by E.Y.
Harburg
String Arrangement: Kris Nilsen
Special Thanks...
Credits
Cover and back cover shots: Douglas
Rhodenbaugh and Eddie Miller
Inside panel shots: Luis Ortiz
Cory Henderson, èlan Salon, Austin, Texas
Crystal Clear Sound, Austin, Texas
Recorded, remixed and mastered
by: Rick DeLellis at
Figment Studios, Austin, Texas
Love and Peace,
A :-)