Chick Corea is a serious creative force who is current with his time in that he employs the resources of his time to be expressive. His continued involvement in the development of Jazz Fusion since its inception in the 1960’s has given him the chance to use electronic instrumentation as a means of creating. His performance group, Return to Forever of the 1970’s helped chart a course in electric Jazz. Chick Corea’s name has become synonymous with new ideas in music. He is currently involved in the continued evolution of electronic music as he performs with the Elektric Band, a modern representative of the Jazz Fusion evolution. In addition he has been a steady performer in the traditional jazz settings, having become legendary for his skills as a performer on acoustic piano. At present he is making a strong statement with a group called the Akoustic Band. Chick Corea has also used his pianistic skills in collaboration with other well-known keyboardists such as Keith Jarrett, Friedrich Gulda, and Herbie Hancock. His busy schedule as a performer in his own compositions as well as the works of others links him to the exploits of Franz Liszt and Ludwig van Beethoven. As a composer Corea has proved his diversity by his ability to write in Classical forms as well as modern ones, as demonstrated by his Septet that was written for the chamber group Tashi, and his piano concetto. The Children’s Songs were Corea’s first attempt at writing for solo piano. These pieces were begun in 1971 and were added to gradually over the next nine years, culminating in the twenty pieces represented here. Chick says he wrote the first song ‘Yo convey simplicity as beauty, as represented in the spirit of a Child.” The first fifteen songs were written for the Fender Rhodes, one of the earliest electric keyboards, and sixteen up to twenty for the acoustic piano. However all of the songs can be played either way. The Songs are reminders of the Scenes from Chidhood of Robert Schumann and the Children’s Pieces of Mussorgsky in that they are short, to the point and are quite contrasting in their natures. The Corea songs are characterized by infectious ostinato bass-lines, syncopated rhythms and circular melodies that are very charming in their innocente. The Children’s Songs are fun to play because while being simple and direct in their statements they are sometimes quite probing and colourful in their nuances, not unlike children themselves. (1990)