------------------------------------------------------- NOVEMBER 29, 2003  ------------------------------------------------------- Source: Staten Island Advance (Story provided by Roy D.) Engine company visited by drummer from 1970s rock band  By Jodi Lee Reifer Alan White of Yes drops by the Huguenot firehouse to meet some of his biggest fans All the famed drummer needed was a wooden spoon and some pots and pans to turn his visit with Engine Co. 164/Ladder Co. 84 into an impromptu concert. Alan White of Yes, the 1970s progressive rock band that defined the genre, dropped by the Huguenot firehouse yesterday to meet some of his biggest fans. The British percussionist thrilled the men when he jammed with them on cooking utensils. "It was the highlight of my drumming career," joked John Rubino, who retired from Engine Co. 164 in May. Yes hooked up with the firefighters -- whose engine was once adorned with a placard reading, "Close to the Edge," the name of a 1972 Yes album -- through a mutual friend, Mario DiSanto of Huguenot. DiSanto, who lives only a few blocks away from the firehouse, lost another friend, FDNY Lt. Paul Mitchell, Sept. 11, and maintains a bond with his neighborhood firefighters. As a morale booster, DiSanto arranged for Yes bass player Chris Squire to visit the firehouse last March. Since then, the firefighters have attended a Yes concert, complete with a backstage tour. In addition, the band raised $7,300 for Engine Co. 164/Ladder Co. 84 to add a room onto the firehouse. The company is planning to construct a 12-by-20-foot lounge and to fill it with Yes memorabilia. White will supply one of the band's Gold Records. "I don't think we have a fire engine named after the band anywhere else. When we found out, we got behind these guys," said White, who came to town with his wife, Gigi, and children, Jesse, 20, and Cassi, 19, to see Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Although White joined Yes in 1972, three years after its first song was released, he played on more than a dozen of the group's recordings, including "Relayer" (1974); "Tormato" (1978), and "Talk" (1994). He also performed on John Lennon's landmark "Imagine" (1974) and with George Harrison on "All Things Must Pass" (1970). Ladder 84's Capt. Richard Persichetty, who has attended more than a dozen Yes concerts, may be the group's most ardent fan. "Our job is living close to the edge. They were close to the edge with their music," he said. He was drawn to the band because of its musical virtuosity, complicated rhythms, and 20-minute long epics, Persichetty said. Yes made music for the sake of making music, not for commercial radio play, he said. "They were truly artists." Close Window YesInThePress.com For site comments, problems, corrections, or additions, contact YesinthePress@aol.com