An Evening With by John Petrucci & Jordan Rudess

24 Feb

Written by Glenn Astarita
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Two lords of progressive rock teamed up one night at a Rockland County, NY venue for what most assuredly, was a very special evening. Keyboardist Jordan Rudess and guitarist John Petrucci wiz through a series of electro-acoustic duets, spanning Latin tinged jazz, lushly melodic exchanges and other pleasantries. However, Petrucci slams the pedal to the metal on occasion via his often, blazingly fast single note runs. And naturally, Rudess is no slouch in the speed department, evidenced by his rippling arpeggios, for example. But at the end of the day, this outing identifies the artists’ unified approach, subsidized by gobs of sentiment and mood-evoking dialogues. On the piece titled "Hang It," the duo launches a sprightly jazz waltz into the mix, while eventually stretching out in rather poignant fashion. Overall, the musicians’ technical acumen is counterbalanced by their spirited forays into a multihued portraiture that sustains interest upon repeated spins. (Highly recommended.... )