DREAM THEATER’s JORDAN RUDESS Pays Musical Tribute To ENNIO MORRICONE

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DREAM THEATER keyboardist Jordan Rudess has paid tribute to Oscar-winning composer Ennio Morricone, saying he "left us with some of the must beautiful music this planet has ever heard." Morricone passed on July 6 at the age of 91. According to Morricone's longtime lawyer, the composer died in a Rome hospital of complications following a fall, in which he broke a leg. Rudess has uploaded a video of him performing some of the Morricone's compositions, and he included the following message: "Here is my tribute to Ennio Morricone- who left us with some of the must beautiful music this planet has ever heard. May his melodies bring him directly to a special place in heaven." Morricone composed "The Ecstasy Of Gold", the song from the classic film "The Good, The Bad And The Ugly" which has been opening METALLICA live shows since 1983, Speaking to Kerrang! about the influence of Ennio's work on METALLICA, bassist Robert Trujillo said: "I believe a lot of METALLICA's music is built on layers and chance and taking risks. The compositions of layered guitars; the dynamic of that ingredient is really, really cool and that’s the same thing with classical music. Ennio did it incredibly well and he’s a genius at that. "I know 'Orion' is a METALLICA piece, but, to me, it has the beauty of an Ennio Morricone composition — the layers and the journey it takes you on, the highs and the lows." The Italian composer, who scored more than 500 films. won his Oscar for his work on Quentin Tarantino's "The Hateful Eight" (2015) and also was nominated for his original scores for Terrence Malick's "Days Of Heaven" (1978), Roland Joffe's "The Mission" (1986), Brian De Palma's "The Untouchables" (1987), Barry Levinson's "Bugsy" (1991) and Giuseppe Tornatore's "Malena" (2000).