Artist: Jan Hammer Genre(s):
Rock
New Age
Discography:
Miami Vice The Complete Collection Cd2 Year: 2002
Tracks: 22
Miami Vice The Complete Collection Cd1 Year: 2002
Tracks: 20
Drive Year: 2000
Tracks: 12
Beyond The Mind's Eye Year: 1993
Tracks: 15
Escape From Television Year: 1991
Tracks: 15
The Early Years Year: 1986
Tracks: 10
Oh Yeah! Year: 1976
Tracks: 8
Snapshots Year:
Tracks: 11
To pop up music fans, keyboardist Jan Hammer is best known for his work on the soundtrack of the fashionable '80s hook series
Miami Vice. But Hammer also achieved considerable success in the jazz fusion earth, both on his have and as a hire member of John McLaughlin's fabled Mahavishnu Orchestra. Though jazz purists oftentimes objurgate major portions of his solo make, Hammer has undeniably left wing his mark, both musically and commercially.
A native of Prague, in what was then Czechoslovakia, Hammer was born into a musical family (on April 17, 1948) and began perusal forte-piano at eld four. By historic period 14, he was working with a touring and recording jazz tout ensemble that likewise included future Weather Report member Miroslav Vitous. Hammer studied theory and composition at the Prague Academy of Muse Arts, just when the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968, he emigrated to the U.S. After attention the Berklee School of Music, he landed a yearlong touring fight with Sarah Vaughan as both keyboardist and conductor. In 1970, Hammer settled in Manhattan and recorded as a sideman with Elvin Jones and Jeremy Steig. The following yr, he joined the Mahavishnu Orchestra, appearance on landmark merger albums like
The Inner Mounting Flame and
Birds of Fire. After the group disbanded at the end of 1973, Hammer reunited with Mahavishnu violinist Jerry Goodman for the album
Like Children (1974). Hammer's official solo debut came with 1975's The First Seven Days, and he assembled a financial support unit called the Jan Hammer Group for the supporting enlistment. The Hammer Group recorded prolifically over the future deuce age, including collaborations with guitarist Jeff Beck, and their blade of fusion shifted towards R&B-styled grooves. After 1978's
Melodies, Hammer disbanded the mathematical group and recorded a true solo album,
Black Sheep, playing all the instruments himself. In short order, though, he formed some other financial support striation, this one called just Hammer.
The early '80s establish Hammer operative with, among others, Al DiMeola (Galvanic Rendezvous) and Journey guitar player Neal Schon (
Untold Passions and
Here to Stay), as well as encouraging Jeff Beck in the studio. Hammer was becoming increasingly involved in pop/rock session collaborations, and by 1984, he had already stirred into composing for television and celluloid as well, debuting as a soundtrack composer with the film
A Night in Heaven. His big break in this arena came when the producers of a new MTV-style police force series called
Miami Vice tapped him as weekly score composer. When a soundtrack album was released in 1985, including several Hammer compositions as well as sway songs featured in the serial, Hammer's drive opening musical theme music off number peerless on the pop singles charts, the start TV theme to do so since 1976. The album was a worldwide success, and "Miami Vice Theme" south Korean won Hammer iI Grammys (Best Pop Instrumental Performance and Best Instrumental Composition).
Hammer remained involved with
Miami Vice until 1988, when he retired to upstate New York to make a home studio and deliver to solo recording. The first result was
Snapshots, issued in 1989, another on-key solo record album on which Hammer performed every note himself. Subsequently, Hammer rededicated himself to soundtrack composition, including 1992's acclaimed computer-animation project
Beyond the Mind's Eye. 1994's
Drive became Hammer's first non-soundtrack recording in v age; for the remainder of the decennium, Hammer continued his profitable work for TV, movie, commercials, and even video games.
