Jordan Rudess – Permission To Fly

Hailed by Music Radar magazine as “the greatest keyboard player of all time,” Jordan Rudess is a classically trained musician who began his journey at the prestigious Juilliard School of Music at just nine years old. Over the years, he has carved out a significant presence in progressive rock, stepping into Derek Sherinian’s shoes in Dream Theater—a band with which he continues to perform. In addition to his work with Dream Theater, Rudess also lends his talents to projects like Liquid Tension Experiment (LTE).

Beyond his collaborative efforts, Rudess has cultivated an impressive solo career. His latest release—his nineteenth solo album titled Permission To Fly—showcases the dramatic flair and melodic intricacies that are synonymous with his style. The album features elements of classic prog along with the ambitious playing that has become his signature.

Rudess stands among an elite group of musicians, worthy of being mentioned alongside legends such as Emerson, Wakeman, and Lord.

Unlike several of his previous works, however, where Rudess played everything on this album, rather than being a full-on solo album, he’s recruited some stellar talent to help him. Beginning with ‘The Final Threshold,’ which could easily be mistaken for an ELP outtake around the time of Trilogy, featuring as it does the same Emerson organ sound and runs along the Keyboard, this is Jordan Rudess and a group of his friends playing music, rather than lengthy, complex pieces a la LTE. The guests on this album, guitarist Steve Dadaina, drummer Todd Darby and in particular vocalist extraordinaire That Joe Payne, whose divine voice lights up the album with some damn fine vocals, all do sterling work in translating Rudess’s musical ideas, with all the intriguing lyrics provided by Rudess’s daughter Ariana.

There are no weak tracks on the album, with Rudess and his associates keeping the listener entranced right up to the end. Permission to Fly is a very diverse piece of music, including elaborate prog pieces, such as ‘Embers,’ ‘Footsteps In The Snow’ and, in particular, the gorgeous ‘Shadows Of The Moon,’ as well as the largely solo piece, the delightfully emotive ‘Dreamer’. The musicians on this album demonstrate their virtuosity but not in a manner which suggests over-indulgence. There’s no doubting Rudess’s musical prowess and this album is a fine showcase for his abilities – it deserves to be heard by more people than the Dream Theatre fans and completists who’ll probably be its main consumers.