  A recently observed relation between 'weakly nonassociative' algebras A (for
which the associator (A,A^2,A) vanishes) and the KP hierarchy (with dependent
variable in the middle nucleus A' of A) is recalled. For any such algebra there
is a nonassociative hierarchy of ODEs, the solutions of which determine
solutions of the KP hierarchy. In a special case, and with A' a matrix algebra,
this becomes a matrix Riccati hierarchy which is easily solved. The matrix
solution then leads to solutions of the scalar KP hierarchy. We discuss some
classes of solutions obtained in this way.
