Jan Hammer
Birth name Jan Hammer
Born 17 April 1948
Prague, Czechoslovakia
Genres
Jazz fusion synthpop pop rock
Occupation(s)
Musician composer record producer
Instruments
Keyboards drums
Jan Hammer (Czech pronunciation) (born 17 April 1948) is a Czech-born American musician, composer and record producer. He first gained his most visible audience while playing keyboards with the Mahavishnu Orchestra in the early 1970s, as well as his film scores for television and film including “Miami Vice Theme” and “Crockett’s Theme”, from the popular 1980s program, Miami Vice. He has continued to work as both a musical performer and producer, expanding to producing film later in his career.
Hammer has collaborated with some of the era’s most influential jazz and rock musicians such as John McLaughlin, Jeff Beck, Al Di Meola, Mick Jagger, Carlos Santana, Stanley Clarke, Tommy Bolin, Neal Schon, Steve Lukather, and Elvin Jones among many others. He has composed and produced at least 14 original motion picture soundtracks, the music for 90 episodes of Miami Vice and 20 episodes of the popular British television series Chancer.
His compositions have won him several Grammy Awards
Jan Hammer was born in Prague, then capital of Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic). His mother was Vlasta Průchová, a well-known Czech singer, and his father was a doctor who worked his way through school playing vibraphone and bass guitar. Hammer began playing the piano at the age of four and his formal instruction started two years later.
He aspired to follow his father into medicine until a family friend convinced him to develop his musical talents instead. Hammer formed a jazz trio in high school, performing and recording throughout Eastern Europe at the age of fourteen. Upon entrance to the Prague Academy of Musical Arts, he completed many compulsory classes including harmony, counterpoint, music history, and classical composition.
When the Warsaw Pact invaded Czechoslovakia on 20 August 1968, Hammer’s studies at the Academy were cut short. Hammer recorded a jazz trio live album at “The Domicile” in Munich on 30 August 1968. This was released as Maliny Maliny by the German label MPS Records. But Hammer moved to the United States and resolved to become a citizen after receiving a scholarship at Berklee College of Music in Boston.
The Jan Hammer Group was formed in 1976 and supported The First Seven Days on tour, receiving good reviews from both jazz and rock critics. The group turned out three LPs the following year: their own Oh, Yeah? and, with Jeff Beck, the RIAA platinum Wired (with Jan’s “Blue Wind”), and Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live, a chronicle of their 100-show tour together, certified gold. One final album by the group followed in 1977, Melodies.
Hammer composed music for the Czech fairy-tale Šíleně smutná princezna (The Incredibly Sad Princess).
Personal life
Hammer became a US citizen in 1978. He has a son, Paul, who fronts the band Savoir Adore.
The discography of Czech-American musician Jan Hammer consists of 25 albums with Hammer as the lead artist, as well as several singles and a large number of collaborations with jazz and rock musicians, such as John McLaughlin, Jeff Beck, Al Di Meola, Mick Jagger, Carlos Santana, Stanley Clarke, Tommy Bolin, Neal Schon, Steve Lukather, and Elvin Jones among many others. He has composed and produced at least 14 original motion picture soundtracks, the music for 90 episodes of Miami Vice and 20 episodes of the popular British television series Chancer
Discography
As leader
Album
The Jan Hammer Trio
Maliny Maliny (1968) MPS Records (Rereleased in 1976 as Make Love)
Jerry Goodman and Jan Hammer
Like Children (1974) Nemperor / Sony
Jan Hammer
The First Seven Days (1975) Nemperor / Sony
Jan Hammer Group
Oh Yeah? (1976) Nemperor / Sony
Jan Hammer Group
Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live (1977) Epic
Jan Hammer Group
Melodies (1977) Nemperor / Sony
Hammer
Black Sheep (1978) Elektra / Asylum
Hammer
Hammer (1979) Elektra / Asylum
Neal Schon and Jan Hammer
Untold Passion (1981) Columbia
Neal Schon and Jan Hammer
Here to Stay (1983) Columbia
Jan Hammer
Miami Vice (1985) MCA
Jan Hammer
The Early Years (1986) Nemperor / Sony
Jan Hammer
Escape from Television (1987) MCA
Jan Hammer
Snapshots (1989) MCA
Jan Hammer
Police Quest 3 Soundtrack (PC game) (1991) Sierra
Jan Hammer
BEYOND The Mind’s Eye (1992) Miramar / MCA
Jan Hammer
Drive (1994) Miramar
Jan Hammer
Snapshots 1.2 (2000) One Way
Jan Hammer
Miami Vice: The Complete Collection (2002) One Way
Jan Hammer
The First Seven Days (Remastered) (2003) Columbia/Legacy
Jan Hammer
The Best of Miami Vice (2004) Reality Records
Jan Hammer
Black Sheep/Hammer (2-CD Set) (2005) Wounded Bird Records
Jan Hammer Project (Featuring TQ)
“Crockett’s Theme” (2006) LuckySong/Sony/BMG
Jan Hammer
“Cocaine Cowboys” Soundtrack (2007) Red Gate Records
Jan Hammer Group
“Live in New York” (2008) Red Gate Records
Charting singles
Year Song Peak chart positions[1][2][3] Album Soundtrack
US SW GE AU NL BE NZ UK
1985 “Miami Vice Theme” 1 8 5 4 22 20 8 5 Escape From Television Miami Vice
1987 “Crockett’s Theme” — 9 4 29 1 1 — 2 Miami Vice II
“Tubbs And Valerie” — — 34 — — — — 84 Miami Vice: The Complete Collection
“Forever Tonight” — — 62 — 74 — — — —
1988 “The Runner” — — — — — — — 93 —
1991 “Crockett’s Theme 1991” — — — — — — — 47
As sideman
With the Mahavishnu Orchestra (Columbia):
Album
John McLaughlin with The Mahavishnu Orchestra
The Inner Mounting Flame (1971)
The Mahavishnu Orchestra
Birds of Fire (1972)
The Mahavishnu Orchestra
Between Nothingness and Eternity (1973)
The Mahavishnu Orchestra
The Best of The Mahavishnu Orchestra (1980)
The Mahavishnu Orchestra
The Lost Trident Sessions (recorded 1973, released 1999)
The Mahavishnu Orchestra
Unreleased Tracks from Between Nothingness & Eternity (recorded 1973, released 2011 in box set)
With Jeff Beck (Epic):
Album
Jeff Beck
Wired (1976)
Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck With the Jan Hammer Group Live (1977)
Jeff Beck
There & Back (1980)
Jeff Beck
Flash (1985)
Jeff Beck
Beckology (1991)
Jeff Beck
The Best of Beck (1995)
Jeff Beck
Who Else! (1999)
With Al Di Meola (Columbia):
Album
Al Di Meola
Elegant Gypsy (1977)
Al Di Meola
Splendido Hotel (1980)
Al Di Meola
Electric Rendezvous (1982)
Al Di Meola
Tour De Force – Live (1982)
Al Di Meola
Scenario (1984)
Al Di Meola
The Electric Anthology (1995)
Al Di Meola
This Is Jazz Volume 31 (1997)
Al Di Meola
Anthology (2000)
With Frank Foster
The Loud Minority (Mainstream, 1972)
With Carlos Santana (Columbia):
Love Devotion Surrender (1973) – Hammond organ, drums, percussion
With Billy Cobham (Atlantic):
Spectrum (1973) – keyboards
With Stanley Clarke (Nemperor):
Stanley Clarke (1974) – keyboards
With Harvey Mason (Arista):
Earth Mover (1975) – keyboards (Mini Moog)
With Lenny White (Nemperor):
Big City (1977) – keyboards
With John Abercrombie (ECM):
Timeless (recorded 1974, released 1975) – organ, synth, piano
Night (1984) – keyboards
With The Freelance Hellraiser (Sony/BMG):
Waiting for Clearance (2006) – keyboards
With Tommy Bolin (Atlantic):
Teaser (1975) – keyboards, drums
From the Archives Vol. 1 (1996) – keyboards
With Elvin Jones
Merry-Go-Round (Blue Note, 1971) – piano
Mr. Jones (Blue Note, 1972) – piano
The Prime Element (Blue Note, 1973) – keyboards
Elvin Jones is “On the Mountain” (PM, 1975) – keyboards
With Jeremy Steig
Energy (Capitol, 1971)
Fusion (Groove Merchant, 1972)
With Glen Moore (Elektra):
Introducing Glen Moore (1978) – drums (with Glen Moore – double bass & piano, David Darling – cello, Zbigniew Seifert – violin)
With Joni Mitchell (Asylum):
Mingus (1979) – Mini Moog
With Tony Williams (Columbia):
The Joy of Flying (1979) – keyboards
With Mick Jagger (Columbia):
She’s the Boss (1985) – keyboards
With James Young (Passport):
City Slicker (1985) – keyboards, drums
With Clarence Clemons (Columbia):
An Evening With Mr. C (1989) – keyboards, drums
With Steve Lukather (Columbia):
Lukather (1989) – keyboards
With Charlie Mariano (MPS):
Helen 12 Trees (1976) – keyboards (with Charlie Mariano – saxes & nagaswaram, Zbigniew Seifert – violin, John Marshall – drums, Jack Bruce – bass)
With Yoshiaki Masuo (Electric Bird/King):
Finger Dancing / Yoshiaki Masuo with Jan Hammer (Recorded 1980) – Oberheim, Mini Moog, YAMAHA CP70
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