THE seaside resort of Morecambe played host to one of the finest guitarists in the world at the weekend, writes Rob Jones.

Known for his work with 70's prog-rock giants Yes, and a founder member of the recently reformed first supergroup Asia, Steve Howe also formed GTR with former Genesis guitarist Steve Hacket.

But it was with son Dylan - a very talented and established jazz drummer in his own right - and keyboard player Ross Stanley, that he took to the Platform stage on Saturday, as one-third of the Steve Howe Trio.

To give you an idea of the talent on show, Howe was voted " best overall guitarist" in the prestigious Guitar Player magazine five years in a row (1977-81), and was inducted into GP's "Gallery of Greats". The album Close To the Edge (1972), which he co-wrote, is said to be one of John Frusiante's (of Red Hot Chilli Peppers fame) all-time favourites.

It is always a pleasure to watch a very talented artist close up, and the intimate surroundings of the Platform made a welcoming change from the large arenas Howe normally plays.

The opening song, originally written by the great Jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell, set the mode for the night. Howe then talked warmly about his influences, giving a great insight into the origins of his unique sound - which, with Yes, was a pioneering mixture of genres that forged the blueprint of rock music for the 70s and beyond.

Classic Yes songs and his own solo work were re-worked into Jazz versions, and seemed to work particularly well.

Fans of his acoustic solos were not disappointed either, with some of his solo back catalogue on the set list along with tunes from guitar legend Chet Atkins, a major influence of Howes. He seemed to really enjoy playing the music of these Jazz greats to a live audience and the encore the band had chosen, a re-working of the classic Yes song Siberian Khatru, seemed to form a bridge between the two different styles of music.