In the spring of 1972, it seemed as if every kid who owned a guitar at my high school was trying to learn the nifty little acoustic intro to Yes' Roundabout. The ones who mastered it usually had some classical training; the ones who didn't just moved on to Jethro Tull's Aqualung.

The prog-rock epidemic had already taken hold in Britain, and groups such as King Crimson and Emerson Lake & Palmer had made American inroads. Some people had even heard The Yes Album from the year before.

But it was Roundabout that broke that big proggy rock machine on this side of the Atlantic. And it was that magical guitar intro with its transcending harmonics and neo-classical melody that defined Roundabout.

Suddenly rock had a higher meaning. It was no longer about Mary Lou or rebellion, or even drugs. It was art, man. Well, OK, it was also satin pants, four-inch platform boots and shag haircuts.

That guitar intro was kind of important, historic even. So it was extra special to have its creator, Steve Howe, singing it to me over the phone all the way from London. I was telling him how huge that guitar riff was at Barton S.S., and like a gentleman, Howe replied in a sincere voice, "Well, thank you."

Then it came: "Prongggg, dit diddlee dee dih dee ... pronggg ..."

Sure, it would have sounded better if he had a guitar in hand. But I thought it was kind of sweet. You build up preconceptions about pretentious prog rockers, and here's the great guitar master 0f Yes, Asia and GTR diddlee-deeing me his best known work.

Howe is more down-to-earth than you'd think. His first love is jazz, especially guitar legend Kenny Burrell.

And if you like all that flash noodling -- either jazz or proggy -- you'll be glad to know that Hamilton's in store for a double dose of Steve Howe over the next month.

On Friday he brings the Steve Howe Trio, which specializes in Burrell-style jazz, to the intimate Westside Theatre. After, Howe will stick around southern Ontario rehearsing with his other band, Yes, for the Nov. 4 kickoff to its 40th anniversary tour at Hamilton Place. The Steve Howe Trio show will be completely instrumental, featuring his son, Dylan Howe, on drums, and Ross Stanley on Hammond organ. Jazz hounds will notice a similarity to Burrell's great recordings with organist Jimmy Smith.

The Howe trio will also do jazz stylings of Yes classics Close To The Edge, Mood For A Day, Siberian Khatru and Roundabout. If the live versions are anything like the trio's new CD, The Haunted Melody, fans will be in for a classy night of music.

The jazz trio's tour was booked long before the much-larger Yes tour was pieced together. Indeed, the Yes tour almost didn't happen. The band initially booked a large-venue summer tour to celebrate its 40th anniversary. It folded when vocalist Jon Anderson's poor health made it impossible.

The group's core -- Howe, founding bassist Chris Squire and long-time drummer Alan White -- had performed without Anderson before, however, and started looking for a replacement. They found it in Benoit David, front man for a Montreal tribute band, Close To The Edge.

"We spotted him and felt that he was so like Jon, he deserved to be there with us," Howe explained. "There is a kind of feeling here that we've got a new lifeblood. Chris, Alan and I seem to be up for this one. Well, we've been up for it for years but we haven't been able to get Jon in the right state of mind or health to come out on tour."

Another change in Yes is Oliver Wakeman, who's replacing his father, keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman. "He has a flavour that he gets from his dad," Howe says. "You can hear it in his playing, in his styling. He can really twiddle those keys."

Showtimes

What: Steve Howe Trio

When: Friday. Doors open 7:15 p.m. Show 8 p.m.

Where: Westside Concert Theatre, 434 King St. W.

Tickets: $37, 905-777-9777

What: Yes

When: Nov. 4. Doors open 7 p.m. Show 8 p.m.

Where: Hamilton Place

Tickets: $39.50, $55.50, $85.50 at Copps Coliseum box office, ticketmaster.ca or 905-527-7666

grockingham@thespec.com

905-526-3331