“It works because of the unlikely mix of people involved – and he takes a similarly maverick approach to its songs”: Jordan Rudess’ Permission To Fly

Jordan Rudess - Permission To Fly.

It’s only fitting that a man who’ll utilise anything from a keytar to a Steinway grand piano to a Moog Polyphonic Synth should enlist a singer just as willing to push the creative envelope to get the performance he wants. By his own admission, Jordan Rudess knew nothing of Joe Payne – formerly frontman with The Enid, now operating under the name of That Joe Payne – when they first met on a prog cruise.

But the Dream Theater keyboard player was hugely impressed by the British singer’s incredible voice and megawatt charisma. And Payne is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to unlikely personnel choices here.