A whole lot of things are younger than Yes, a band formed in England in 1968: cell phones, CDs, the Internet, the original Woodstock music festival. And so is Oliver Wakeman, the keyboardist touring with that venerable progressive rock band.

If that name sounds familiar, it's because the 37-year-old Wakeman is the son of the group's founding and most famous piano man, Rick Wakeman.

Originally, Yes' 40th anniversary tour was to start last fall, but vocalist Jon Anderson developed serious health problems. When guitarist Steve Howe, drummer Alan White and bassist Chris Squire decided to go on with the tour without Anderson, Rick Wakeman also bowed out.

"My Dad also had some health issues. He didn't want to go out (on tour) and risk getting ill again," said Oliver in a call from his home in England, near Wales. "The band asked Dad if he could suggest a replacement. He recommended me, which was kind of unexpected."

At least Wakeman is part of the extended Yes family. Controversy ensued when a stand-in for Anderson was hired, Benoit David, a singer with a Yes tribute band who has a knack for hitting the high notes and remembering those quasi-poetic lyrics.

"On our first night of the tour, I looked at Benoit as if to say, 'What are we in for here?' But the shows have gone well and the fans have been incredibly kind," he said.

Besides, noted Wakeman, it's not like the Yes lineup has been set in stone over the years. For the tour, he learned music originated by five Yes keyboardists, including Tony Kaye, Patrick Moraz, Trevor Rabin and Geoff Downes, as well as his father.

"It's quite good fun for me as a keyboardist because I'm not just playing Dad's pieces, and it's also quite challenging."

The band's signature tunes - Roundabout, Long Distance Runaround and Your Move/All Good People - are complex.

"Yes songs don't follow the verse, verse, chorus, verse pattern. I have to remember what time signatures we are going into," Wakeman said.

Many of the pieces are "must plays" at every concert. "Close to the Edge is such a great epic piece. The trouble is that Yes has so much great music - what do you leave out?" he said.

Coincidentally, Wakeman also has signed on to tickle the ivories with one of his father's earlier bands, The Strawbs. "It was an interesting coincidence. In both cases people asked me; I wasn't pursuing it."

Oliver Wakeman did not grow up immersed in the arena-rock world.

"I was 5 or 6 when my mom and dad split up," he said. "Most of my memories are from my teenage years when I got to hang out with the band. That's when I really started listening to the music of Yes."

He admits a special affinity for some later Yes albums, especially Tormato, which Wakeman pronounces as Tor-mah-toe. By any name, a musical genre many critics have suggested is past its prime continues to draw fans.

"Lots and lots of younger kids are getting interested in this music. We see it at our concerts. I ask kids if they got dragged along by their parents and they say, 'No, we wanted to come.' "

As Wakeman spoke, a happy, noisy child could be heard in the background.

"That's my son," he said. "He's very energetic, but he will sit at the piano with me for a little while when I play. Not bad at all for a 3 1/2-year-old."

He should be ready just in time to play keyboards when Yes does its 60th anniversary tour.

lehndorffj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5103

Rock dynasties

Oliver Wakeman isn't the only child of a British rocker to continue the family business. Here's a look at some others:

* Adam Wakeman: Also Rick's son, Adam plays keyboards for Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne's band, and with his father as Wakeman with Wakeman.

* Zack Starkey: Ringo Starr's son, drums for The Who.

* Jason Bonham: John Bonham's son drums for Foreigner and recently with his late father's band, Led Zeppelin.

* Dhani Harrison: George's son, who played and sang at the memorial Concert for George, has his own band called thenewno2.

* Julian Lennon and Sean Ono Lennon: John's sons each have periodically recorded albums and toured.

* Andrew Hodgson: Son of Supertramp singer-songwriter Roger Hodgson; songwriter who has played drums, piano and harmonica in his father's solo band.

* Aaron Emerson: The son of keyboardist Keith Emerson of Emerson, Lake and Palmer also is a keyboardist who plays rock and ambient music.

Yes

* When and where: 8 p.m. Feb. 12, Paramount Theatre, 1621 Glenarm Place

* Cost: $50-$85

* Information: livenation.com; 303-623-0106

* Of note: Yes, which has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide, once played a show for more than 130,000 fans at Philadelphia's JFK Stadium in 1976. (Source: yesworld.com)

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