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Louder
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Prog
The Prog newsletter brings you the very best of Prog Magazine and our website, every Friday. We'll deliver you the very latest news from the Prog universe, informative features and archive material from Prog’s impressive vault.
Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess is on top of the world as he tours his band’s latest album, featuring the return of Mike Portnoy. He’s also keeping himself busy with a range of creative projects – but, as he tells Prog, it could have all been very different if he hadn’t encountered one of the genre’s leading figures in 1974.
Where’s home?
New York.
What’s your earliest memory of prog?
Listening to a friend’s copy of Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s Tarkus. It was amazing for me to hear keyboards with that kind of power within a rock format.
The first prog album you bought?
Tarkus blew my mind so I had to get my own copy. I found it in a little record shop in New York, brought it home, and that was the start of the journey for me. It was 1974. Keith Emerson is my prog hero. He really changed my life from the path of being a classical pianist to opening myself up to all the possibilities out there as a keyboardist!
And the most recent?
Opus by Nospūn – incredible modern prog. Tight playing, big melodies, and that perfect mix of complexity and emotion.
What was your first prog gig?
Gentle Giant in New York around 1975. Their musicianship and complexity just blew me away – it opened my mind to how far music could really go.
And the latest?
Steven Wilson in New York last year. It was incredible: amazing sound, deep visuals, and that perfect balance of precision and emotion. Just a masterclass in live production.
What was the best prog show you ever saw?
Van der Graaf Generator at the Beacon Theatre in NYC, October 18, 1976. It was a mind-blowing performance with Peter Hammill in full theatrical mode, playing dead on the stage and the band were in great form!
Your latest prog discovery?
Leprous. Their [2024] album Melodies Of Atonement really hit me – incredible mix of emotion, rhythm, and atmosphere. It’s heavy, beautiful, and full of those deep sonic moments I love.
Your guilty musical pleasure?
Neil Young’s Harvest. I grew up with all that prog and experimental stuff, but there’s something about the simplicity and honesty in that record that I really connect with. I’m a sucker for great songwriting; it doesn’t matter what genre it is.
Outside of music, what are you into?
Playing with cutting-edge visuals and tech, experimenting with ways to create the images I see in my mind. I also do a lot of walking around the cities I visit while I’m on tour.
What’s your favourite venue?
Radio City Music Hall in NYC. There’s just something magical about that place: the history, the sound, the energy of the crowd. You walk out on that stage and instantly feel the weight of everyone who’s played there before you. It’s pure inspiration.
Which muso you would most like to work with?
“Hey Jimi, wanna come over and jam, man?”
Read a good book lately?
The Creative Act by Rick Rubin. It’s not just about music; it’s about the mindset of creating. Really grounding, inspiring, and full of reminders about staying open to ideas. It’s one of those books that you can just pick up at any point and instantly feel reconnected to why you make art.
Have you ever had a prog-related date?
Bringing Danielle, who is now my wife, to see Marillion and Rush in 1983.
Apart from your bandmates, who do you hang out with in the prog community?
It’s always a great hang with my buddy Charlie Griffiths [ex Haken], no matter where we are in the world. I also love to catch up with Steven Wilson whenever we can.
Which proggy record gets you in a good mood?
Favourite album cover?
Brain Salad Surgery or In The Court Of The Crimson King – pick the day!
Why are you a musician?
Because music’s the thing that keeps me connected; it’s how I express what I feel and share a little bit of who I am.
And what are you up to at the moment?
I’m on the Parasomnia tour right now, but I’ve been writing new music, playing a lot of guitar, loving my Steinway and spending tons of time at the piano, messing with some cool tech and visuals – really just following wherever the creativity wants to go.
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