Pianist Chick Corea is best known for his fusion groups Return to Forever and Chick Corea"s Elektrik Band, but his deep background is in the salsa he played with Mongo Santamaria in his introduction to the scene, and his interest in the lyrical melodic statements of Spanish-American music is obvious throughout his career. This ambitious program takes on a number of aspects of what Corea clearly sees as a key part of his cultural heritage. The 17-piece orchestra that provides the central context here is meant to be reminiscent of the Miles Davis/Gil Evans collaboration on Sketches of Spain and Charles Mingus"s exploration of similar melodic themes on Tijuana Moods. --John Swenson