Jan Hammer is a Czech/ American musician, composer, and record producer. Hammer established his reputation initially as a founder-member of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, alongside such equally stellar musicians as guitarist John McLaughlin, drummer Billy Cobham, violinist Jerry Goodman, and bass player Rick Laird.
Hammer was born into a musical family. His mother was Vlasta Pruchova, a well-known Czech singer, and his father was a doctor who worked his way through school playing vibraphone and bass. 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 ‘Prague Spring’ of 1968 was crushed by the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia on 20th August 1968, Hammer's studies at the academy were cut short. Under the patronage of Friedrich Gulda, whose Viennese annual newcomer-festival he had won a few months earlier, Hammer recorded a jazz trio live album at The Domicile in Munich on 30th August 1968. This was released as Malma Maliny by the German label MPS Records. Not returning to Prague, he stayed in Munich and worked with actress Kai Fischer on her debut album ‘Kai Fidelity’. Hammer decided to move to the United States and resolved to become a citizen after receiving a scholarship at Berklee School of Music in Boston.
Upon completion of his studies, Hammer spent a year touring with the Jazz vocal legend Sarah Vaughan, recorded with Elvin Jones and Jeremy Steig, then moved to New York City and joined the original line-up of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. A successful band in the-then popular Jazz Rock Fusion genre, they performed some five hundred and thirty shows before their farewell concert on 30th December 1973.
Hammer was an early pioneer of playing the Minimoog synthesizer in a live setting. As the 70s progressed, Hammer’s reputation was enhanced and consolidated through involvement on projects like the Billy Cobham debut solo album, Spectrum (1973),
In 1976, he featured with the British jazz/rock guitarist Jeff Beck on Beck's platinum-selling album ‘Wired’, produced by George Martin. A tour featuring songs from ‘Wired’ and the album ‘Blow By Blow’ ensued, resulting in the ‘Jeff Beck With The Jan Hammer Group Live’ album, a chronicle of their one hundred and seventeen-show tour, which was certified for Gold album sales.
The Jan Hammer Group was also formed in 1976 and supported ‘The First Seven Days’, Hammer’s 1975 solo debut album on tour, receiving good reviews from both Jazz and Rock critics. The group turned out two LPs ‘Oh, Yeah?’ and ‘Melodies’.
In 1977, Hammer recorded ‘Elegant Gypsy’ with Al Di Meola. The albums ‘Casino’, ‘Splendido Hotel’ and ‘Electric Rendezvous’ followed. He then joined Di Meola for a tour chronicled the same year on ‘Tour De Force-Live’; and finally appeared throughout ‘Scenario’, using a Fairlight CMI digital synthesizer and contributing to more than half of the album's compositions.
During the mid 70s to early 80s he also recorded and played with Joni Mitchell, Santana, Tommy Bolin, Harvey Mason and Stanley Clarke.
Hammer has composed and produced at least 14 original motion picture soundtracks, the music for 90 episodes of Miami Vice and 20 episodes of the television series Chancer. His compositions have won him two Grammy Awards. Though not so active in recent years, Hammer released his first album of new material in over 10 years: Seasons – Part 1 in July 2018. He has also indicated that he is working on a compilation of unreleased works.
With thanks to Alan Robinson