Father and son are alike in many ways: both toweringly tall, with arms that span the keyboard, musically erudite and adventurous, and with a taste for the ladies (Bebo has seven children, and Chucho, who is now married to an Argentine woman, has eight). ''They're like two drops of water, exactly alike,'' Chediak says. ``They're both very mischievous and very reserved at the same time.''

Chucho idolized his father, who was his first teacher and who formed him as a musician. ''He was my hero,'' says Chucho. ``I wanted to be like him. He was very very very demanding with me. And for this I'm very grateful to him.''

But the time Chucho spent apart from his father allowed him to become his own artist. ''It was difficult to play the same instrument as a person who is so original, creative and great,'' he says. ``The hard part was to find myself, my own personality without leaving his influence behind.''

Now Chucho holds his own with his father -- although he still acknowledges his influence. Most of the songs on Juntos were recorded in the first take, except for a few times when Chucho's performance was more flamboyant than Bebo's -- when Chediak says Chucho would propose another try in which he'd tone down to match his father. ''At the time of Calle 54, Chucho expressed the wish to be close to his father and get as much as he could from him,'' Chediak says. ``He has been able to do that, and it shows in his playing.''

These days the two communicate frequently by phone and e-mail, and see each other whenever they can. Chucho is hopeful that Bebo will be up to another father-son tour. ''Whenever he wants to, I'm ready,'' Chucho says. ``Because for me it's really the best thing that could have happened.''

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