Jan Hammer

Jan Hammer

Person from United States

Genres: electronic, Soundtrack, instrumental, 80s, synth pop

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About Jan Hammer

Jan Hammer (born 17 April 1948) is a Czech-American musician, composer, and record producer. He became known in the early 1970s as the keyboardist of the jazz fusion group Mahavishnu Orchestra and later gained wider recognition for composing music for film and television, including "Miami Vice Theme" and "Crockett's Theme" for the television series "Miami Vice". Over the course of his career, he has worked as a performer, composer, and producer in jazz, rock, fusion, and soundtrack music. Hammer was born in Prague, then part of Czechoslovakia. His mother, Vlasta Pruchova, was a singer, and his father was a physician who also played vibraphone and bass guitar. Hammer began studying piano as a child and later attended the Prague Academy of Musical Arts, where he studied subjects including harmony, counterpoint, music history, and classical composition. His musical influences included Erroll Garner, Bill Evans, Paul Bley, Jimmy Smith, Larry Young, Jo Jones, Philly Joe Jones, Elvin Jones, and Tony Williams. Following the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, Hammer left the country and later moved to the United States after receiving a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston. Early in his career in the United States, he toured with Sarah Vaughan and recorded with musicians including Elvin Jones and Jeremy Steig. In 1971, Hammer joined the original lineup of Mahavishnu Orchestra alongside John McLaughlin, Jerry Goodman, Rick Laird, and Billy Cobham. The group became one of the leading acts in jazz fusion during the early 1970s. Hammer was also among the early musicians to use the Minimoog synthesizer in live performance settings. During the 1970s, Hammer collaborated on a number of jazz fusion and rock recordings. He performed on Billy Cobham's album "Spectrum" and recorded with Jerry Goodman and John Abercrombie. His first major solo album, "The First Seven Days", was released in 1975 and was recorded at his Red Gate Studio in upstate New York. Hammer collaborated extensively with guitarist Jeff Beck. He appeared on Beck's 1976 album "Wired" and participated in tours documented on the live album "Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live". He later contributed compositions and performances to Beck's album "There and Back", including the track "Star Cycle", which became the theme music for the British television program "The Tube". In addition to his solo work, Hammer formed the Jan Hammer Group and later collaborated with guitarist Neal Schon in the duo Schon & Hammer, releasing the albums "Untold Passion" and "Here to Stay". He also worked with musicians including Al Di Meola, Carlos Santana, Joni Mitchell, Stanley Clarke, Mick Jagger, Tommy Bolin, Harvey Mason, and Billy Cobham. Hammer began composing extensively for film and television during the 1980s. In 1984, he was hired to compose music for the television series "Miami Vice". The soundtrack album for the series reached number one on the Billboard charts in 1985 and achieved multi-platinum sales in the United States. At the 1986 Grammy Awards, Hammer received awards for "Best Pop Instrumental Performance" and "Best Instrumental Composition" for "Miami Vice Theme". He also received Emmy Award nominations for his work on the series. After reducing his involvement with "Miami Vice" in 1988, Hammer continued composing for film, television, and advertising projects. His 1989 album "Snapshots" featured newly recorded material and included contributions from Jeff Beck, David Gilmour, and Ringo Starr in the promotional video for the single "Too Much to Lose". During the 1990s, Hammer focused largely on soundtrack and television work. He composed music for films including "I Come in Peace", "The Taking of Beverly Hills", "Sunset Heat", "A Modern Affair", and "In the Kingdom of the Blind the Man with One Eye Is King". He also composed music for television productions including "Chancer", "Knight Rider 2000", "Prince Street", and several episodes of "Tales from the Crypt". From 1993 onward, Hammer composed music for TV Nova, the first commercial television network in the Czech Republic. His work for the network included themes for television programs, station identifications, and music for news and sports broadcasts. In 1994, Hammer released the album "Drive", which included a reunion with Jeff Beck on the track "Underground". He later contributed the song "Even Odds" to Beck's 1999 album "Who Else!". That same year saw the release of "The Lost Trident Sessions", a previously unreleased Mahavishnu Orchestra recording from 1973. In the 2000s, Hammer continued soundtrack and production work. He composed the score for the 2006 documentary "Cocaine Cowboys" and released "The Best of Miami Vice", featuring newly recorded versions of "Miami Vice Theme" and "Crockett's Theme". In 2006, he collaborated with rapper and singer TQ on a new version of "Crockett's Theme". In interviews during the 2010s, Hammer discussed his interest in both experimental music and progressive rock and described his methods of composing music for "Miami Vice", including the use of Fairlight CMI synthesizers and sampled percussion. In 2014, he recorded a version of the theme music for the animated television series "Squidbillies". On 20 July 2018, Hammer released "Seasons - Part 1", his first album of new material in more than a decade. Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Hammer

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