Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (born June 12, 1941) is a multiple Grammy Award winning American jazz pianist/keyboardist and composer.
He is arguably best known for his work during the 1970s in the genre of jazz fusion, although his contributions to straight-ahead jazz have been tremendous. He participated in the birth of the electric fusion movement as a member of Miles Davis' band in the 1960s, and in the 1970s formed Return to Forever.
He continued to pursue other collaborations and explore various musical styles throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Among jazz pianists, Corea is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential since Bill Evans and McCoy Tyner (along with modern contemporaries Herbie Hancock and Keith Jarrett). His piano performance showed a similarity to Hancock; yet he maintained a distinctly individual voice.

Children's Songs (1971-1980)
For saxophone quartet (arr. Richard Ferland)

The composing of the Children's Songs was a unique experience for me as a composer. I can't remember ever writing music with so little regard for the sound and timbre of instrument(s) that would produce the music. I wrote the pieces primarily on the Fender Rhodes electric piano along wiht some work on the acoustic piano.

The guiding idea was the portraying of the simple way children look at life. I built the songs wiht no regard for ' form' particularly. I did try to portray various viewpoints children might have as they go through their formative years.

The pieces have always lent themselves to being orchestrated in different ways. I myself have taken several of the pieces and orchestrated them for various bands and small ensembles that I've had through the years.

-Chick Corea

Children's Songs