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BUDDY DE FRANCO “Chip Off The Old Bop” Concord Jazz * * * 1/2

De Franco, who was the first virtuoso to bring clarinet into the be-bop era, still has few challengers on the horn. This unpretentious set of standards and originals offers a needed reminder of his undimmed artistry.

Though his technical fluency has been a central asset (notable here in his spirited samba version of “Dancing in the Dark”), De Franco is no less significantly a master of balladry. Two of the most estimable cuts are the haunting “Moon Song,” a Kate Smith hit of the 1930s, and his own charming “Almost,” inspired, he says, by the writing of Robert Farnon. Both tracks make effective use of string synthesizer backgrounds by keyboardist Larry Novak.

De Franco’s most valuable sideman is guitarist Joe Cohn, son of the late saxophonist Al Cohn and clearly a force for the future, whose solos on “If You Could See Me Now” and “Hashimoto’s Blues” offer evidence of a fast-rising talent.

Keter Betts, best known as Ella Fitzgerald’s bassist, and the ex-Miles Davis drummer Jimmy Cobb round out this agreeable unit in a well-paced program.