Best ’neo-prog’ keyboard player?

Yer man Martin everytime.

All hail Mr Orford.

Progger wrote: Isn't he only capable of playing 'one' keyboard on tour?

Rudess uses one "master" keyboard through which he runs the sounds of multiple keyboards that are stored at the back of the stage.  He only needs the one!

Also, I think he's the best out of those mentioned.  A virtuoso if ever I saw one.

ivan_2068 wrote: Honestly I stay with Pendragon over Arena, The Masquerade Overture is an excellent album.

An excellent album, indeed, but ARENA's career is more consistent, their music feels much more energetic (even for the slow numbers), and contains a much larger amount of gems (75 % of "Songs from a Lion's Cage", 50 % of "The Cage", "The Visitor", "Contagion"). Pendragon's discography is soooooo uneven... and they get soooo corny so many times -- Twelfth Night, Citizen Cain and IQ kick their butt, indeed.  

MikeSweedish wrote: Definetly Jordan Rudess!!! Many slate him as Dream Theaters worst keyboardist(compared to Shrinian, Moore) but I love those goofy little parts he trails off on, Change of Seasons live on Metropolis 2000, and some verry impressive solos(Dance of Eternity).

Jordan is miles better than Derek and Kevin in the playing aspect fields.

Other keyboardists I like on there are Neal Morse (I'm a big Trans-Atl fan) and Tomas Bodin (I love the Flower Kings), two really impressive keyboardists and in Neal Morse's case- amazing singer, guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, etc.

King of Loss wrote:   Other keyboardists I like on there are Neal Morse (I'm a big Trans-Atl fan) and Tomas Bodin (I love the Flower Kings), two really impressive keyboardists and in Neal Morse's case- amazing singer, guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, etc.

Arsillus wrote:

What does one keyboard have to do with anything? He's just as good. And he does it with one hand sometimes too.

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Because he may not have the dexterity & co-ordination to play two keyboards at the same time without hitting some 'duff' notes

People, people. The mystery behind Jordan's "mini-arsenal" revealed:

Endorsements. For a while, he was Kurzweil's boy, so all he used was their latest, greatest keyboard workstation in concert. Plus, think about the bands he was playing in:

Dixie Dregs. Imagine "battling" Steve Morse and Jerry Goodman for room to lay down some licks.* That must be quite a task. Not to mention the busy rhythm section. Jordan got to stretch out more with Rod as the duo, RPM, right?

*Of course, Jan Hammer had to do just that in Mahavishnu Orchestra. But not everybody can be Jan Hammer.

Dream Theater. Egads! The caterwauling of James Labrie. The nonstop crunch-chordings of John Petrucci. And John Myung and Mike Portnoy make a huge racket, too! It would be pretty stupid for Jordan to try and pull a Wakeman.

Anyway, Jordan is nearly 50, and has had a long, if somewhat understated (pre-Dregs, that is) career in music. He used to tour with bigger rigs, no doubt.

I agree that Jordan is the more talented one technically, however his compostion skills are somewhat weak.  I'd still pick him over all the rest listed.

Okay, Bobby!

Actually, I don't even see why Neal Morse is on this poll. I view him as more of a "singer-songwriter" dude than a keyboardist. He plays geetar, too.

Too bad Jens isn't in that poll.

Edited by dropForge

oh come on man i dont know most of these dudes (im pretty new to prog music) but jordan rudess shouldnt be up there sure hes insanely fast but what prog metal musician isnt? He has no taste at all. Did you here live at boudokai? I mean the rest of the band was kicking ass and he played fast but his note choices were umm less then satisfactory

Jordan Rudess is not a neo progressive player. But he is the best in the world so my vote goes to him.

NOLAN... great work in ARENA & PENDRAGON...