Bill Perkins feat. Metropole Orkestra - I Wished On the Moon (1992)

Review by Ken Dryden
Bill Perkins is a special guest of the Metropole Orchestra on these studio sessions from 1989 and 1990. Backed by conductor Rob Pronk's lightly swinging arrangements, Perkins packs a punch with his effusive tenor sax in "I Wished on the Moon." He switches to flute for "Beautiful Love," which starts slowly before picking up the pace, while Perkins occasionally calls Eric Dolphy to mind with his bird-like runs. He is also hip to more contemporary sounds, as he plays soprano sax in the funky "Last Port of Call" (co-written by Lorraine Feather and Michael Cimbello). But Bill Perkins saves the best for last with a marvelous soprano sax solo in the exotic, tense arrangement of "Caravan." The strings tend to get a little too prominent in spots, but this is still a very enjoyable album.