Ben Perowsky, Frank Perowsky & Sam Yahel - Bop On Pop (2002)

Drummer Ben Perowsky has worked with many musicians, but none on more intimate terms than his father, saxophonist Frank Perowsky. Here, father and son unite for the first time on record, bringing along organist Sam Yahel for a spirited set of bop-oriented classics. The elder Perowsky is in excellent form on both tenor sax and clarinet, with a laid-back yet advanced approach to harmony and phrasing. In order to highlight the family ties, Yahel sits out the last two cuts, "Donna Lee" and "Four" (the former a smoking clarinet feature). The Bird-and-Miles theme resurfaces often, and satisfying renditions of "My Foolish Heart," Horace Silver's "Quicksilver," and Fats Waller's "Jitterbug Waltz" round out the program. Well worth hearing. -- David R. Adler