He tells Prog about defying expectations, teaming up with his linguist daughter and working with That Joe Payne on the project.
Expectations can be misleading. Jordan Rudess is renowned for his dazzling, technical keyboard skills that have been proudly placed under the spotlight on Dream Theater’s albums for the last 25 years, and such skills do, perhaps, lead to assumptions as to the nature of his solo work. There have been releases – such as the blazing Rhythm Of Time – that have contained the type of wonderful bombast that forms the core of his Dream Theater work. Yet, he’s also capable of writing perfectly pitched classical pieces. Returning with Permission To Fly, his intention is somewhat different, with a clear adoption of a song-based approach – augmented by fleeting keyboard gymnastics – that give the new album the aura of a real band.
“That’s awesome to hear because going into this, I wanted to do the coolest thing that would have legs into the future,” says Rudess. “People around me, and also myself, thought I should put together a band project, something I just can carry over. So, that was one of the definite goals. I wanted to create an album that had a good amount of vocal sections in it, unlike some of my solo progressive rock albums, which are usually mostly instrumental. I really wanted to find that balance. I listen to a lot of vocal music and I like music that’s not necessarily so totally insane or crazy too. It was important to find that mix of songs but also contain the ‘Jordan wild madness’.”
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Issue 154 من Prog.
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Issue 154 من Prog.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
JAKKO M JAKSZYK
King Crimson's vocalist and guitarist shares anecdotes from his revealing new autobiography, discusses his lost career as a footballer and reveals what he said when he met the former king of pop.
A Part & Yet Apart
Sheffield-based 80s proggers Haze have returned with a new studio album, The Water's Edge - their third since their 2013 comeback record, The Last Battle. Prog catches up with threequarters of the band to discuss Haze's DIY ethos, the curse of prog and playing to Cumbrian sheep farmers.
CONTROLLED AIRSPACE
He's about to embark on Dream Theater's 40th Anniversary Tour, but keyboard maestro Jordan Rudess has taken time out to discuss his soaring new solo album, Permission To Fly.
On The Wing
Birds, break-ups, big choruses and the Charlie Chaplin effect can all be found on In Murmuration, the ninth album from Finland's Von Hertzen Brothers. But as they embrace their power pop influences, have the Finns cast off their prog wizard cloaks once and for all? Mikko von Hertzen talks about the Seattle influence, songwriting secrets and sax solos.
Fourth Dimension
The stock of melodic Northumberland-based proggers Stuckfish has been rising since they formed six years ago. Their fourth studio album, Stuckfish IV, represents an important watershed in the band's musical evolution. Co-founders Adrian Fisher and Phil Stuckey tell Prog about the diverse influences that have helped to shape it.
Symphly The Best
In the 70s, Barclay James Harvest almost bankrupted themselves by performing with an orchestra, but, several decades on, they’re celebrating last year’s performance with the Slaithwaite Philharmonic, captured on their latest live record, Philharmonic! The Orchestral Concert. John Lees reminisces over the band’s ambitious early years and bassist Craig Fletcher fills Prog in on JLBJH’s upcoming “progtastic” double album.
We've Not Been Expecting You
The unpredictable Frost* are back with Life In The Wires, a bold double concept album that revisits the mood of Milliontown. Bandleader Jem Godfrey tells Prog why he rolled out the solos on a record he describes as the most fun since their dazzling debut.
FAR HORIZONS AND PANORAMIC AMBITIONS
Dutch five-piece Lesoir have been steadily gathering momentum over the last 15 years, and they hope to build on that with their latest release, Push Back The Horizon. Vocalist/ instrumentalist Maartje Meessen and guitarist Ingo Dassen discuss the creation of their sixth album, working with Muse's production team, and their dream of bringing their intricate music to new audiences.
'I mean, what is classical nowadays?'
Tony Banks reflects on his role as a 21st-century classical composer.
There Can Be Only One!
Never meet your heroes, or so the saying goes, but Opeth have had a blast working with Ian Anderson on their latest, The Last Will And Testament. Bandleader Mikael Åkerfeldt and guitarist Fredrik Åkesson discuss the band's proggiest album to date, the return of the growl and why blood isn't always thicker than water.