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 :-)