Solo Piano: Improvisations: Children’s Songs ECM (3CDs)

Corea's two 1971 Piano Improvisationsalbums emerged at a time when solo jazz piano was somewhat out of fashion, but the years have, in general, been good to these spontaneous creations. Compared with Keith Jarrett's later solo piano work, Corea here is a miniaturist, with a latin tinge and a classical sensibility that reflects Bartók. But his risk-taking, also, had a rigour that led to mostly impressive results, including the song sequences that open both volumes. There are some gorgeous performances, too, in the first album's Where Are You Now?suite, and in the second's brilliant deconstruction of Monk's Trinkle Tinkleand jubilant foray into Shorter's Masqualero. The third CD, 1983's Children's Songs, is full of charming, playful sketches; deftly conceived and superbly executed, sharply differentiated pieces that somehow don't satisfy as much as they might. See ecmrecords.com