A Conversation with Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater) | The Daily Doug (Episode 248)

#JordanRudess #DreamTheater #AViewFromTheTopOfTheWorld #WiredForMadness
In this episode of #TheDailyDoug, I'm having a lovely conversation with keyboardist extraordinaire Jordan Rudess. On the day that we recorded this interview, the new Dream Theater album, A View From the Top of the World, was released to the world. I was so privileged to have the opportunity to talk to the DT keyboardist about the new album, the recording process, his new technical gadgets and tools, and about some of his background and his own solo recordings. Enjoy!
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[@Fire_Bagwan]

My God, Doug, I started watching your channel at 5k subs and you're now at 131k having conversations with eternal music legends. You deserve it so much!

[@Doug.Helvering]

Thanks for being here!

[@bigvicious7317]

Me too!! This is awesome!

[@kippsguitar6539]

He sure does

[@wjadragon6782]

Right it is crazy cool

[@saraho.7775]

Brasileiros por aqui!

[@ShredmasterScott]

I think Doug wants to play with Jordan's studio toys muhaha

[@theyescapedtheweightofdarkness]

Scottmaster Shred

[@austinlange7210]

Who wouldn’t? 🤪

[@joeyhardin5903]

muahahaha

[@dr.juerdotitsgo5119]

The cello sounded amazing. The Trumpet is bit too artificial, no?

[@kevinmaillet4712]

Can you blame him? Lol

[@jamieburnette2438]

Watched James Labrie on The Charismatic Voice , now Jordan Rudess here . Been a great day.

[@freelyspeaking3629]

It’s actually healthy jealousy knowing that when Doug listens to DT, he hears it on a totally different level than most hardcore fans. He sees the notes in his head & counts every note. The brain power required for that type of interpretation is inspirational. Australia loves your work mate. It’s a pleasure & a real treat. All the best 👏👏👏

[@shawnhegarty4998]

Holy shit, Doug! AWESOME

[@RiquezaEmGotas]

Jeez Doug, you have outdone yourself now, this is certainly a quantum leap in music interviews, you are rapidly becoming a major player in the music biz arena, thanks a lot for all the effort and inspiration you put in your work. You are beginning to reap the well deserved benefits, congratulations .

[@Shigawire]

The man was a musical prodigy when he was a kid. This is what a modern day Mozart looks and talks like. Today, as a grown man, he's a musical genius. And Doug, it's clear the *quality* of your musical reviewing / listening is what are getting big-wigs like Jordan to pay attention to you. You deserve this, and more. Love your channel.

[@Gorbyrev]

What a reward for all the work you have put into your channel which we greatly appreciate, especially as you have developed a something of a soft spot for Dream Theater like so many us viewers.

[@canman87]

Whoa, I wasn't expecting this! Looking forward to hearing what you two have in store for us here.

[@lowdz68]

Would love Doug to react to Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence.

[@AFryingPan]

Yes, but the live version

[@trulybtd5396]

Jeez im geeking out hard right now

[@Zsuzsanna66]

Awesome, I'm so glad it happened finally! I remember how enthusiastic I was when Jordan joined DT, because I had seen him with Morgenstein before and it was a blast. (The Rudess /Morgenstein Project played before DT in Budapest in 1998). Doug, thanks for making this conversation happen. :)

[@pauldeak3265]

Hi, I'm from Hungary too. I've started playing piano because I saw Jordan play his solo with DT in 2000 on SFAM tour :)

[@Zsuzsanna66]

@@pauldeak3265 Hi! It's good to have a fellow Hungarian here :) It's so cool Jordan was such an inspiration for you!

[@artmooneyblog]

Hey, I assume we both were at Petőfi Csarnok open-air in 1998... :D

[@Zsuzsanna66]

@@artmooneyblog Damn right! 😁

[@aelechko]

VIJO MORGENSTEIN

[@Fernanufret]

It’s happening! YES, Doug!!! Man, your channel is just such an inspiration and a driving force to music, in general. Thank you so much! Cheers!

[@JupiterEarth]

You notice when Doug is so nervous when the only compliment he gives Jordan is "awesome".

[@zacharykim295]

Jordan tries to break the ice by showing him his gear. Very wholesome

[@sordel5866]

@@zacharykim295 Yes, I noticed that myself ... just something that he could do to give Doug a chance to regather his thoughts.

[@KBH27]

I remember years ago Portnoy saying that Rudess notates everything.

[@briansf7012]

What a treat. Thanks Doug. 👌

[@gwooledge]

Great interview. That iPad cello interface was amazing. Dream Theater fans may also be interested in hearing Elizabeth Zharoff's (The Charismatic Voice) interview with James LaBrie, which premiered last week.

[@daguilara9]

Jordan becoming just another DT fan just made this album drop day even more awesome.

[@Arrow2theACL]

Well now that Jordan said it. You cannot sleep until you react to all of 6 degrees of innerturbulence and post it on your patreon. ;)

[@Doug.Helvering]

Coming next month I think

[@Alamar1]

@@Doug.Helvering Two words: Shawn Lane. :D

[@rioseptiano1245]

@Doug Helvering make sure it's the live recording version with octavarium orchestra :)

[@ryanmccloskey4292]

@@Doug.Helvering that's fantastic news. Love your channel!

[@MR-ml2po]

@@Alamar1 Doug definitely needs to get into some Shawn Lane. Oh I can't wait for the day he deconstructs some of that.....

[@belliiahmed]

You just did a Video conversation with one of greatest keyboardists in human history that is very very down to earth... Amazing

[@petertqrn]

Thanks for the composition process question, Doug ! Quite interesting to understand from a player/composer like Rudess.

[@wesleytrott6397]

One composer interviewing another composer. Doug is the perfect person to interview Jordan. This was great!

[@complexdevice]

Love how far this channel has come. Congrats on all your success Doug. This is awesome!

[@GuiAntonioli]

Jordan is top 1000 in the world. His sound is unique, he's got feeling, technique, speed when required, he is great. Oh, I'm talking about him playing the GUITAR. Keybords? He is on a high isolated level, by himself, looking down at the rest of human kind and thinking "I like those tiny mortals, I shall play them some genius stuff". Jordan is the BEST musician ever.

[@el_manu_el_]

This is great! Thanks for putting this out.

[@Plantagenet1956]

I’ve only just seen this, Doug. Massive, thank you so much!

[@tartarus250]

Just watched this with a big smile on my face thanks

[@dreadbull5039]

Great interview Doug! Thank you so much for bringing Jordan to us!

[@jgg02]

Another milestone for this channel, great interview, thanks for putting out great content

[@SteveOostdyk]

Great interview, Doug! Can't wait for more of your analysis on DT and JR music!

[@estefaniasucre6966]

This is soooo amazing!!! Thanks Doug and Jordan!!!! :D

[@DisneyNuts]

This was an amazing interview. Love the channel and this was the icing on the cake. Thanks for doing this!!!

[@Eelgram]

Congrats on landing this interview, Doug! And what an entertaining, informative conversation this is!

[@SloeGin-ip1xk]

Really enjoyed that. I could listen to Jordan talk all day. So passionate about his craft. It’s wonderful. I hope you get to interview him again in the future. Congratulations Doug.

[@Helvetichris]

Great interview Doug, thank you very much

[@pablopolanka]

Great interview, Doug, thank you and Jordan for these awesome 45 minutes!

[@andyfox8377]

The Wizard! This was amazing to hear you guys talk

[@pisag0r]

Thanks for the great interview, Doug, incredible work 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 the honesty in the conversation, thats whats missing in most interviews. Well done 👍🏽

[@suarezmarull]

It's awesome to see the dedication, passion and joy someone like Jordan Rudess professes. Massive respect!

[@santobias3901]

This has to be one of my favorite videos on KZbin. Great work, Doug. Cheers from Indonesia

[@danjmcs]

Fantastic interview... love seeing the DT guys embracing the great reactors like yourself Doug... James on with Elizabeth last week and now Jordan with you, great stuff, thank you! Getting a live demo of Jordans tools was AMAZING...

[@PT5684]

Happy to see your channel growing , already speaking with big rock stars... Congrats Doug

[@andrewlamont3053]

Wow! Man that was cool. So, doug, you're gunna consider 6 Degrees of Inner Turbulence for a long-comp playthrough in the near-medium future, right? I know we'll all have an awesome time digging into it. It was so cool to hear you guys riffing on modern music tech and stuff. Can't wait to see the reactions!

[@DeckardRJ]

Amazing that tou got to do this interview!!! Thank you so much for this, Doug!! Very well done!! 👏👏👏

[@MickeyAbraham2022]

This is one of the coolest interviews I've ever seen. Jordan seems so at ease and ready to share cool stuff with you (us). Thanks Doug!

[@brucewheeler8770]

Great interview. Thanks, guys! I have listened to the album 'A View From the Top of the World' twice now (first time on drop day), and the whole album is amazing, especially the title track. Thanks Jordan, and the rest of the band!

[@piss_pisstofferson]

That's one of those smiles like a child has when they walk in to a candy store. Pure awesomeness Doug

[@digibirder]

What a great surprise! Thanks Doug and Jordan!

[@evanrodenhausen1885]

This is a wonderful interview, Doug! So much more substance and authenticity than we get from the standard media tours. The excitement is palpable! Thanks so much for this and for all you do!

[@monkeyhouse1672]

What a wonderful conversation. Thank you Doug and Jordan for a warm, insightful and brilliant chat!

[@BarronBrothersFilms]

I gasped when I saw this. Looking forward to watching this later!

[@timbaker7238]

What a score! Thanks Doug and Jordan! I might not understand a lot of what you are discussing, but it's still incredibly interesting to hear professionals talk about their trade :-)

[@guymartin763]

That was awesome, thanks Doug and Jordan :-)

[@sergioagostini7244]

The most wanted interview. Congrats!

[@Aragorn280]

Bravo Doug. What an interesting interview. In fact, it's one of the most interesting interview I've heard, not only just with Mr. Rudess, but with anybody ! So refreshing to watch 2 musicians talking MUSIC !!!

[@ofekerez8467]

An evening with john petrucci really is one of my favorite albums of all time. I listen to it all day!

[@jamesgilgannon4164]

What a great interesting interview with Jordan. Thank you Doug.👍😊🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵

[@johnny8771]

Congrats on the interview Doug.. nicely done and well deserved!!

[@jamienotine2791]

What an absolute amazing interview, seeing into the mind of such a visionary musician was incredible. Jordan just works on a different level. Having met and talked with him and seeing this insight leaves me wanting so much more!! Thanks' Doug for this gift ! Just a word of advice, when you go to a Dream Theater concert do not sit in the front row, I know that is contrary but sit back about 15-20 rows so you can take in all the players. There is so much interplay between Jordan, Johns and Mike that you can miss so much. I have seen DT a dozen times and I always come away with something new. Enjoy and I cant wait to see your next review!!

[@freddydibnah8942]

Grew up idolizing Jordan, my marching band did a DT show in high school and I had a pretty sick xylophone solo...took forever to learn it was hard lol. I love reaction videos, especially ones with people like Doug that know what they're talking about. It's a treat to hear y'all talk

[@webjock2k7]

Do you happen to have video of that?

[@chipcaronte]

Le dot.

[@johnanthonyp]

Superb use of open questions. You're style and quiet but full attention really brought out expansive answers from Jordan. I think Jordan recognised and appreciated it given he seemed to be very attentive and receptive to any statement you made.

[@Arrestre]

That's amazing!! I love the way your channel is getting bigger and bigger. Keep it up

[@Serfo_]

Smart persons bring the best out of a conversation, and this one can't be a better example of it. Brilliant interview. You can also realize how much Jordan was enjoying the talk with you Doug. Loving your channel, and your smart and insightful reactions. Keep doing the good work man!

[@JuanSebastianMH]

Amazing interview with the one and only Jordan Rudes. It's so cool to listen to the insight of knowledgeable people on their field. You Doug have done a great job.

[@AndalusianIrish]

That was awesome. Thanks Doug. What a lovely, intelligent man.

[@DanielVerberne]

Awesome to have Jordan here! Well deserved, sir! I really have enjoyed your reactions and you clearly exercise your musical muscles during the reactions, which is what many of us like to see.

[@StamateTudorGuitar]

Thank you! Great interview!

[@lexrichardson7820]

Wow- great interview Doug! Your channel just reached a turning point to the better in my estimation! Thank you!

[@Dobloro]

I've heard lots of interviews with Jordan and this one was the best!

[@patrickbeintema9184]

Holy moly. What a great meeting! Greetings from Indonesia 💕

[@ronchiles399]

Absolutely the greatest interview. Thanks Doug!

[@rtrooperw8115]

Wow, this is amazing Doug! You’ve outdone yourself!🙏🏻👍🏻

[@nudsh]

Awesome job Doug! Your interview style is very relaxed and well paced. It allowed Jordan to just sit back and be a regular guy which is what we as fans want to see. Keep up the good work, I've watched you from under 10k subs to now and wish you all the success in the future of your channel.

[@noone-uw6ui]

Jordan and John are very interesting people to listen too, I really enjoy their interviews and insight!

[@grubkiller1212]

Really happy that Doug got to interview Jordan! I thick Doug really wanted to do it after he first heard DT. Keep it up Doug, It’s just a beginning!

[@faamecanic1970]

Great interview Doug!! Enjoyed it very much!

[@dr.zarkhov9753]

Great interview Doug. It's always fascinating to hear how the creative process works for musicians. Thanks for sharing this with all of us Jordan. 😁

[@robertsimmons3336]

That was amazing! You could tell he was really enjoying the interview and so cool that he had the chance to show us and give a small walk through of his new software. I have seen a very in depth review and tutorial of sorts of this software on his ipad and I believe it was on his channel. It is absolutely mind blowing!!! Thank you so much for this I enjoyed it immensely.

[@darenjones1561]

Just an awesome convo , meeting of minds!🤘

[@amandastevens6973]

This is awesome. I love that DT remains humble after all this time. An interview like this demonstrates that Jordan acknowledges and honors the every day people who have loved them and made them successful. Well done, Doug! I'm happy you had this opportunity, thank you for sharing it on KZbin, really made my day🤘☺️

[@jimlamb9766]

Very cool, happy to see your channel growing and you getting this opportunity. Nice job, almost like 2 friends chatting. Thank you.

[@vierdo]

💗🤘WOW! i dont know what to say. This was really awesome. Very good work on your channel Doug. I am a huge fan of DT and i cant wait what you put in here in the future. I am so eager to follow your channel. Very cool interview with Jordan. Thank you Doug.

[@dbuurman]

This just goes to prove that if you are passionate about something and go all in, you can be successful at it. Great interview Doug and keep them coming!

[@JellyRoger_XIII]

The One and Only JR !!!!!! Congrats and Thanks Doug to had him with you, what an amazing chat it is ! Thnx Sir Doug & Thnx Jordan you d best !! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@lukabiljak4679]

Wow! This channel is getting better and better. Glad to discover you man!

[@carlosnascimento9269]

What a fantastic surprise for the DT fans that follow you.

[@sophelet]

this is AMAZING, Doug! You are fantastic. I watch your channel because I grew up hearing and playing or singing only classical music (95% true now, too). You are opening my ears. (Kirin N)

[@juancamilo5421]

This is just amazing, huge congrats to you! Greetings from Colombia! Looking forward to be a great musician as you, Doug. Congrats!

[@snuppssynthchannel]

Certainly two really skilled dudes here, not just speaking of Jordan. Also greatly enjoyed this conversation, I am personally a bigger fan of Emerson and Kerry Minnear. But there is no doubt that Jordan is a world class keyboardplayer and one of the modern greats of electric keyboards. Jordan is also a really nice and humble guy too.

[@smitlag]

Great comment. I think Minnear was the epitome of a musician. Not only as a multi instrumentalist but in really taking anyone who listened to him to school in advanced theory, ear training and a sense of timing only matched by a computer. He was not really a sound designer. He sort of liked his palette of keyboards and sounds and stayed with them. His collection of organs, various electric pianos, clavinet and a little synth here and there. Emerson was not only amazing in his playing and as a performer. He deserves much credit in taming a giant synthesizer that was never meant to leave a studio. But as a true keyboardist also in re imagining his roles for each of his hands. Which is something many piano players that start playing keyboards seem to not get. Turn your left hand into a second right hand. Keith also brought in a lot of inspiration from modern classical composers and incorporated techniques used in classical piano playing. In the big league everyone can play fast. But he brought in octaves,extended jumps with either hand, double notes and fast repeated notes on one key which are things classical pianist run into all the time. He was the pioneer in so many ways. Another player of that era I see as a bridge to Jordan's playing, is Eddie Jobson. Eddie had not only incredible chops and jazz sensibility but like Jordan he was a sound designer and really able to push the technology of the time. Jordan , while technically brilliant impresses me more as the guru of the modern keyboard technolgy. He is a keyboard designer's ideal user. An extremely intelligent man, Jordan gets the most out of any sound instrument he is using.

[@snuppssynthchannel]

​@@smitlag Great comment, yes I agree. Eddie Jobson is among my biggest heroes and I think he is quite underrated. I discovered the Yamaha CS-80 through his work on the U.K albums and his work with that synth is iconic. Also, Presto Vivace and Reprise has to be among the most technically demanding pieces to play in prog music in its entirety and really demonstrate that he was certainly not behind Rudess or Emerson technically in any way.

[@smitlag]

@@snuppssynthchannel the first UK album is a platinum standard for prog albums of all time . Eventhough you definitely hear the stronger influences of the Wetton pieces vrs the Holdsworth/Bruford pieces, Eddie managed to glue them together. The CS80 is incredible sounding on that cd. Another player I really liked although I have no idea what he is doing these days was Mark Robertson of the prog band Cairo. He threaded the line between classically trained pianist and amazing keyboardist very well.

[@pavliny]

Fantastic conversation, Doug! With one of the best musicians of our time.

[@johnanthonyp]

This is some coup. Well done, Doug. I knew your warmth, genuine interest, knowledge base and interview style would pay off and attract major players. A very enjoyable listen. Keep it up, my friend.

[@eatencheetos3937]

Very good questions!

[@IceAgeFarmer]

Great interview Doug. Loving it.

[@nickellis9251]

What a fabulous pair of musicians! Great to see you talking together.

[@brandoncrow3741]

What a great interview, Doug. Thank you so much for this. You can tell Jordan has a big brain, and anything less than "pushing the envelope" would be so boring for him! Loved the songwriting segment, and can't wait to see your reaction to the new Dream Theater stuff. Thanks again! 👌

[@sorinstanciu5034]

Way to go Doug! You're the best thing in the Internet! Talking with the gods now... Just wow... I'm deeply impressed. I met Jordan in Wien one time, casually walking on the street. Such a cool guy!

[@victorgabr]

It's happening! Awesome Doug!

[@SenorSaud]

I still remember watching the very first heavy metal reaction (Fear of the dark), and being so impressed, while other KZbinrs just say wow!, Doug takes the time to explain everything, so much fun. So glad about this latest video

[@stevenbacon-cheddar9914]

Nothing beats these dudes trying to out music-nerd each other! Amazing to see how although they may come from different musical backgrounds, great music is the universal glue of culture. Hope this is the beginning of a trend👍

[@MetalManiac81]

BTW, greetings from Finland Doug! We love your reaction (and all other videos of course) videos here!;)