Jordan Rudess | |
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 Rudess in 2007 | |
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| Birth name | Jordan Charles Rudess |
| Born | November 4, 1956 New York, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1981–present |
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| Website | www |
Jordan Rudess (born Jordan Charles Rudes; [1] [2] November 4, 1956) is an American keyboardist, composer, and software developer, best known as a member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater and the supergroup Liquid Tension Experiment.
Rudess was born in 1956 in New York. He was recognized by his second-grade teacher for his piano playing and was immediately given professional instruction. At nine, he entered the Juilliard School of Music Pre-College Division for classical piano training, where his first theory instructor was future collaborator Joseph Lyons. [3] He studied at Juilliard for seven years under Katherine Parker and Adele Marcus. [4] By his late teens, he had developed an increasing interest in synthesizers and progressive rock music, citing his first experience in the genre as the Hammond playing and distorted stylistic expression of Jon Lord. Against the advice of his parents and tutors, he turned away from classical piano and pursued a career as a solo progressive rock keyboardist. [5]
After Juilliard, one of his first bands was an "electronic space music band" called Complex. Formed by Rudess and former Juilliard instructor Joseph Lyons, along with Sal Gallina, they began playing college radio and house concerts. In January 1977, the band performed at Hansen Galleries in New York City. "This is music of real interest and vitality, more rhythmic and popularly appealing than most so-called 'serious' music," said the New York Times of the performance, "yet never so blatantly exploitive as to arouse real cynicism." [6] That spring, the band Ocean Star released an album featuring music by Complex. That summer, Rudess accompanied Lyons for a residency at the Lexington Conservatory Theatre in Lexington, NY. Rudess served as assistant musical director and co-composed scores for the theater productions with Lyons, including the world premiere of The Prevalence of Mrs. Seale by Otis Bigelow. The duo also performed a series of concerts for the Earful concert series throughout the summer. [7] [8] [9] [10]
When Bleu Ocean was assembling a team of fellow drummers to perform on the song "Bring the Boys Back Home," featured on Pink Floyd's The Wall, he invited Rudess for the sessions, since Rudess had played drums as a child. However, Rudess's performance was rejected by producer Bob Ezrin. At that time, Rudess had already chosen keyboards as his main instrument. [11]
Rudess was part of a studio project assembled by bubblegum pop impresarios Jerry Kasenetz and Jeffry Katz, who were also behind The Ohio Express and The 1910 Fruitgum Company. In 1980, they ventured into album-oriented rock with Speedway Boulevard, which also featured touring members of Ram Jam. The group never performed live and disbanded shortly after the album's release.
After participating in various projects during the 1980s, he gained international attention in 1994 when he was voted "Best New Talent" in the Keyboard Magazine readers' poll following the release of his Listen solo album. Two of the bands that took notice of Rudess were The Dixie Dregs and Dream Theater, both of whom invited him to join. Rudess chose the Dregs, primarily because being a part-time member of the band would have less of an impact on his young family, a choice he was not given with Dream Theater.
During his time with the Dregs, Rudess formed a "power duo" with drummer Rod Morgenstein. The genesis of this pairing occurred when a power outage caused all of the Dregs' instruments to fail except Rudess's, so he and Morgenstein improvised with each other until power was restored and the concert could continue. The chemistry between the two was so strong during this jam that they decided to perform together regularly (under the name Rudess/Morgenstein Project or later RMP) and have since released a studio album and a live record.
Rudess encountered Dream Theater once again when he and Morgenstein secured the support slot on one of Dream Theater's North American tours.
In 1997, when Mike Portnoy was asked to form a supergroup by Magna Carta Records, Rudess was chosen to fill the keyboardist spot in the band, which also included Tony Levin and Portnoy's Dream Theater colleague John Petrucci. During the recording of Liquid Tension Experiment's two albums, it became evident to Portnoy and Petrucci that Rudess was what Dream Theater needed. They asked Rudess to join the band, and when he accepted, they released their then-keyboardist Derek Sherinian to make way for him.
Rudess has been the full-time keyboardist in Dream Theater since the recording of 1999's Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory . He has recorded ten other studio albums with the group: 2002's Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence , 2003's Train of Thought , 2005's Octavarium , 2007's Systematic Chaos , 2009's Black Clouds & Silver Linings , 2011's A Dramatic Turn of Events , 2013's Dream Theater, 2016's The Astonishing , 2019's Distance over Time , and 2021's A View from the Top of the World . In addition, he has appeared on the live albums Live Scenes From New York , Live at Budokan , Score , Chaos in Motion , Live at Luna Park , Breaking the Fourth Wall , and Distant Memories – Live in London .
In addition to working with Dream Theater, he occasionally records and performs in other contexts, such as a 2001 one-off duo performance with Petrucci (released as the CD An Evening With John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess), as well as backing up Blackfield on their first short US tour in 2005 and playing a solo opening slot for them on their second tour in 2007. He also contributed to Steven Wilson's albums Grace for Drowning [12] and Insurgentes.
In 2010, Rudess composed "Explorations for Keyboard and Orchestra," his first classical composition. It was premiered in Caracas, Venezuela, on November 19, 2010, by the Chacao Youth Symphony Orchestra and guest conductor Eren Başbuğ. Rudess played all of the keyboard and synthesizer parts.
On July 28, 2011, in a poll conducted by MusicRadar, Rudess was voted the best keyboardist of all time. [13]
Rudess cites his influences as a keyboardist to include Keith Emerson, Tony Banks, Rick Wakeman, and Patrick Moraz. [14] His favorite musical artists and groups include Gentle Giant, Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, King Crimson, Jimi Hendrix, Autechre, and Aphex Twin. [15]
Rudess claims to have perfect pitch. [16] [17]
Rudess appeared on the Ayreon album, The Theory of Everything , released on October 28, 2013.
While many keyboard players in progressive rock tend to bring numerous keyboards on stage, creating large racks of instruments, Rudess samples sounds from other keyboards he owns and maps them to a single keyboard. Each "setup" assigns different sounds to various layers and key ranges of the keyboard controller; these setups are then arranged in the order they will be required for a gig and cycled through with a footswitch.
From the 1990s onward, he used a Kurzweil K2600XS during live sets until switching in 2005 to Korg's Oasys workstation, which he first utilized on Dream Theater's 2005–2006 20th Anniversary tour. He also employed a Muse Receptor hardware VST and a Haken Continuum X/Y/Z-plane MIDI instrument, triggering a Roland V-Synth XT and a synthesizers.com modular unit designed by Richard Lainhart and Roger Arrick. Influenced by Lainhart, Rudess was the first well-known keyboardist to bring a Haken Continuum onto a live stage. [18] Rudess kept the Kurzweil for studio recordings and for some of his signature sounds, such as "the pig," which is often played in unison with the guitar or bass guitar.
In 2011, Rudess switched from the Oasys to the new flagship Korg Kronos. In 2019, he added a Roland Ax-Edge keytar and a Hammond XK-5 to his live setup, which were used on Dream Theater's 2019 record Distance over Time . His current live rig consists of the Kronos, along with a Continuum, a Hammond XK-5, a Roland AX-Edge, a lap steel guitar, a Harpejji, and an iPad.
Since 2001, Rudess has used custom-made swiveling keyboard stands on stage for both Dream Theater and his solo career, which are built by Patrick Slaats from the Netherlands. On Dream Theater's 2007–2008 "Chaos in Motion Tour," Rudess expanded his live setup with the addition of a Korg RADIAS, a Manikin Memotron, [19] and a Zen Riffer keytar. Rudess stopped using his Synthesizers.com modular after the European leg of the tour due to its size and weight. He still owns the synthesizer and keeps it in his home studio.[ citation needed ] During the Progressive Nation 2008 tour, he introduced a Kaoss Pad 3 on stage for the closing medley.
For the 2009–2010 tour in support of Black Clouds & Silver Linings , Rudess introduced the Apple iPhone on stage, running an application called Bebot Robot Synth. [20] Rudess originally used Bebot on the studio recording of "A Rite of Passage." In live performances, he utilized it on the same song, as well as in improvised solos featured in "Hollow Years" and "Solitary Shell."
On September 24, 2010, Rudess released the song "Krump," an electronica single, on iTunes. It featured the use of the new Roland Gaia, Roland's more recent keyboard.
Rudess was frequently asked about private music lessons, but his touring commitments kept him busy. He ultimately developed a course available through a book and video titled "Keyboard Wizardry" and "Total Keyboard Wizardry." He went on to create additional series such as "Keyboard Wisdom" and "Keyboard Madness." These included lessons on composition, improvisation, keyboard playing techniques, rhythm and pitch exercises, and aural training. Some of the courses even addressed sound design and approaches to arrangement, style, composition, and recording. These courses are available in music stores and on specific websites, including YousicPlay, [21] MacProVideo, [22] Patreon, [23] Pianote, [24] AskVideo, and many others, along with his very own Online Conservatory.
In addition to recording videos, eBooks, hardcopy books, and support materials, Rudess has also served as a guest lecturer both on campus and online during the lockdown (or, as he described it, when the world stopped... for a while). This has been an ongoing effort for quite some time. He has been a lecturer for various seasons at numerous institutes, music schools, and music colleges. Jordan Rudess taught music, with a particular focus on keyboard techniques, at Berklee College of Music in the United States and Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music (SAM) in India, [25] and has conducted guest lectures at Stanford.
 | This section may rely excessively on sources too closely associated with the subject , potentially preventing the article from being verifiable and neutral.(October 2021) |
In 2010, Rudess started a software company called Wizdom Music. He partnered with artists such as Kevin Chartier, Felipe Peña, and Eyal Amir (from Project RnL), creating new types of musical instrumental user interfaces and experiences, sound synthesis, and innovative ways of recording and performing music with tablet computers. [26]
Wizdom Music created the following software:
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 in Boston, Massachusetts. The band comprises John Petrucci (guitar), John Myung (bass), Mike Portnoy (drums), James LaBrie (vocals) and Jordan Rudess (keyboards).
Liquid Tension Experiment (LTE) is an American instrumental progressive metal supergroup founded by Mike Portnoy in 1997. The band initially released two albums, between 1998 and 1999. An extension of their second regular album, with the absence of John Petrucci was released in 2007 under the name "Liquid Trio Experiment".
Michael Stephen Portnoy is an American musician who is primarily known as the drummer, backing vocalist, and co-founder of the progressive metal band Dream Theater.
Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory is the fifth studio album and first concept album by the American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released on October 26, 1999, through Elektra Records. It was recorded at BearTracks Studios in Suffern, New York, where the band had previously recorded their second studio album, Images and Words (1992), and the EP A Change of Seasons (1995).
John Peter Petrucci is an American guitarist, best known as a founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. He produced or co-produced all of Dream Theater's albums from Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory (1999), and has been the sole producer of the band's albums released since A Dramatic Turn of Events (2011). Petrucci has also released two solo albums: Suspended Animation (2005) and Terminal Velocity (2020).
Awake is the third studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released on October 4, 1994, through East West Records. It is the final Dream Theater album to feature original keyboardist Kevin Moore, who announced his decision to leave the band during the mixing process of the album.
Dixie Dregs is an American rock band from Augusta, Georgia. Formed in 1970, the band is known for instrumental music that fuses elements of rock, classical music, country, jazz and bluegrass into an eclectic sound that is difficult to categorize. Recognized for their virtuoso playing, the Dixie Dregs were identified with the southern rock, progressive rock and jazz fusion scenes of the 1970s.
Platypus was an American progressive rock / jazz-fusion supergroup, that consisted of members from Dream Theater, King's X and Dixie Dregs. The group was formed in 1997 and disbanded in 2000. Tabor, Myung and Morgenstein would continue working together as The Jelly Jam.
Live at Budokan is the fourth live album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released on October 5, 2004, available on either 3 CDs, 2 DVDs, or 1 Blu-ray Disc. It was recorded at the Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo, Japan on April 26, 2004.
Jerry Goodman is an American violinist known for playing electric violin with The Flock and the jazz fusion ensemble Mahavishnu Orchestra.
Feeding the Wheel is the fifth studio album by keyboardist Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater and Dixie Dregs fame. Many other musicians perform on tracks on this album including Terry Bozzio, Steve Morse, and Dream Theater bandmate John Petrucci, who also worked with Rudess on Liquid Tension Experiment.
An Evening with John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess is a live album recorded by Dream Theater bandmates John Petrucci (guitars) and Jordan Rudess (keyboards). This album is unusual in being performed live by just these two musicians, and only guitar and keyboards. The live recording was made on June 10, 2000, at the Helen Hayes Performing Arts Center in Nyack, New York.
Liquid Tension Experiment is the self-titled first studio album by the band Liquid Tension Experiment, released on March 10, 1998, through Magna Carta Records. The band featured guitarist John Petrucci and drummer Mike Portnoy, at the time both of Dream Theater; bassist Tony Levin; and keyboardist Jordan Rudess, who would go on to join Dream Theater in 1999.
Liquid Tension Experiment 2 is the second studio album by the band Liquid Tension Experiment, released on June 15, 1999 through Magna Carta Records. The album reached No. 8 on the Billboard Top Internet Albums chart and No. 40 on Billboard's Heatseekers. It would take the band another 22 years before they would release their third album.
Prime Cuts is a compilation album by Jordan Rudess released in 2006.
Spontaneous Combustion is an album by progressive metal group Liquid Trio Experiment, and is the result of the studio improvisations of Liquid Tension Experiment which occurred during John Petrucci's hiatus, while he spent time with his wife while she was giving birth. The remaining trio of Mike Portnoy, Tony Levin and Jordan Rudess continued to make music during this period. It was released on October 23, 2007. A few songs from Liquid Tension Experiment 2 were spawned from these jam sessions including "914", "Chewbacca", and "Liquid Dreams". The song "Chris & Kevin's Bogus Journey" is not a reference to Portnoy and Petrucci's former Dream Theater bandmates Chris Collins and Kevin Moore, but rather to the track on Liquid Tension Experiment's first album entitled "Chris & Kevin's Excellent Adventure", which is itself a reference to the band's photographer's habit of calling Mike Portnoy and Tony Levin "Chris and Kevin", even after being corrected several times. It is also a reference to the 1991 film Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, the sequel to Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. The song "Jazz Odyssey" is a reference to the movie This Is Spinal Tap, in which Spinal Tap experiments with an improvisational song of the same name.
When the Keyboard Breaks is a live album by one-off progressive metal supergroup Liquid Trio Experiment, recorded during a Liquid Tension Experiment live show at the Park West in Chicago, Illinois.
"The Looking Glass" is a song by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, from their 2013 self-titled album. It was released as a single on February 3, 2014. Musically, the song is a tribute to Rush, one of Dream Theater's biggest influences.
The Astonishing is the thirteenth studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released on January 29, 2016 through Roadrunner Records. It is the band's second concept album, with a story conceived by guitarist John Petrucci and music written by Petrucci and keyboardist Jordan Rudess. Composer David Campbell assisted with orchestrating the album's strings and choirs. The band recorded their parts for the album throughout 2015 at Cove City Sound Studios on Long Island, New York, with the exception of vocals, which were recorded in Canada. Mixing and sound engineering were performed by the band's longtime collaborator, Richard Chycki, with Petrucci producing.
Liquid Tension Experiment 3 is the third studio album by the American instrumental progressive metal super group Liquid Tension Experiment. Released on April 16, 2021, it is their first studio effort since 1999's Liquid Tension Experiment 2.
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