Biographie
Jan Hammer's musical journey is deeply grounded in classical, jazz, and rock traditions while embracing the future of electronic music, synthesized sound, and the potential of interactive media, television, film, and animation. His achievements include numerous Grammy awards and gold and platinum records worldwide. His work spans recordings from the 1970s through the 1990s, featuring solo projects and collaborations with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Jeff Beck, Al Di Meola, Mick Jagger, Carlos Santana, Stanley Clarke, Elvin Jones, and many others. Jan has composed and produced over 14 original film soundtracks, created music for 90 episodes of Miami Vice (1984)—which resulted in four soundtrack albums including its global #1 hit theme—20 episodes of the British TV series Chancer (1990), and scored "Beyond the Mind's Eye," one of Billboard's best-selling music videos.
Born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, Jan began piano lessons at four and formal classical training at six. By 14, he was performing and recording with his jazz trio across Eastern Europe. After enrolling at the Prague Academy of Music, he relocated to the U.S. following the 1968 Russian invasion, attending Berklee School of Music on scholarship and becoming a U.S. citizen. He also spent a year as keyboardist and conductor for Sarah Vaughan.
In 1971, Jan joined the original Mahavishnu Orchestra, a pioneering jazz-rock fusion band that sold over two million records and performed 530 shows before disbanding on December 31, 1973. His solo debut, The First Seven Days, was produced at Red Gate Studio in his New York farmhouse.
Throughout the next decade, Jan released nearly 20 albums with his bands (Jan Hammer Group and later Hammer) and collaborated with artists like Beck, Al Di Meola, and Neal Schon. In 1983, he participated in benefit concerts for Ronnie Lane's ARMS alongside Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, and Joe Cocker. By 1984, he contributed to Mick Jagger's She's The Boss and Jeff Beck's Flash, which featured his Grammy-winning track "Escape."
That year also saw Jan scoring three major films, various documentaries, TV movies, commercials, and station IDs. His most significant challenge began in fall 1984, when he started scoring the series Red Tape (1987) on a demanding weekly schedule. In 1985, his "Miami Vice Theme" topped Billboard charts—the first TV theme to do so since 1959—and earned him two Grammy awards for Best Pop Instrumental Performance and Best Instrumental Composition. The Miami Vice soundtrack remained #1 on Billboard for 12 weeks, achieving quadruple-platinum status with over 4 million U.S. sales and more than 7 million worldwide. Miami Vice II and Escape From Television, both released in 1987, were million-sellers featuring "Crockett's Theme," a European chart-topper in six countries.
In 1988, Jan stepped back from full-time Miami Vice scoring to build a new Red Gate Studio in upstate New York. From there, he worked on projects like HBO's Blood Money (1988). His album Snapshots was the first full release from the new studio, featuring Jan's compositions and performances. The video for its lead single "Too Much To Lose" included appearances by Jeff Beck, Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, and Ringo Starr. The 1990s marked a renewed emphasis on film and TV scoring, with credits including I Come In Peace (starring Dolph Lundgren), Curiosity Kills (1990), all 20 episodes of Chancer (1990), HBO's Tales from the Crypt (1989), a global Amnesty International TV spot featuring Czech president Václav Havel, pilots Knight Rider 2000 (1991) and News At 12, The Taking of Beverly Hills (1991), and Sunset Heat (1992).
Jan advanced into computer animation by composing and performing the score for Miramar Productions' Beyond the Mind's Eye (1992), released by Miramar/BMG Video. The video, synchronized intricately with visuals that transcended virtual reality, was praised by Roger Ebert as "breathtaking" and named his video recommendation of the week. Leonard Maltin described it as "a dazzling showcase for computer animation" and a sign of the medium's maturation. The video was among 1993's top five best-selling music videos, spending 112 consecutive weeks on Billboard’s Top Music Videos chart and achieving triple-platinum certification. In 1994, Jan released Drive, his first album of original non-soundtrack material in several years.
Reuniting with Jeff Beck on "Underground," Jan revisited their dynamic collaborations, blending flamenco and keyboard funk styles. Michael Brecker contributed tenor saxophone to tracks like "Peaceful Sundown" and the cyber-tech R&B "Curiosity Kills." In 1995, Jan returned to scoring with renewed vigor, composing for the Universal drama Vanishing Son and its 13 episodes, as well as original scores for 1996 films A Modern Affair and In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King. He also scored Beastmaster III: The Eye of Braxus (1996), the sword-and-sorcery sequel starring Mark Singer and Lesley-Anne Down.
Throughout 1996, Jan composed for NBC's The Babysitter's Seduction, The Secret Agent Club, and Orion Pictures' The Corporate Ladder (1997). Concurrently, from 1996 to 1998, he crafted all original music for TV Nova, the Czech Republic's first commercial TV network, including themes for 23 shows, over 50 station IDs, and music for news, sports, weather, and special broadcasts. In 1997, he composed the rock soundtrack for the CD-ROM game Outlaw Racers.
That year also saw Jan scoring the pilot and series for NBC’s Prince Street, starring Vincent Spano and Mariska Hargitay. Six compilation CDs featuring his work were released in the U.S., including Pure Moods (Virgin), which spent 49 weeks on Billboard’s Top Pop Albums chart and sold nearly four million copies worldwide. In 1998, Jan continued his prolific work for TV Nova, began a new CD-ROM game project, and took time off with his family. In early 1999, he contributed "Even Odds" to Jeff Beck's album Who Else? (Epic). When TV Nova changed ownership, Jan was commissioned to create new music for the updated station branding and new programs.
Also in 1999, The Lost Trident Sessions—the final studio album by the Mahavishnu Orchestra—was released. Recorded in 1973 shortly before the band's breakup, the album's masters were lost and rediscovered in 1998. Regarded as the "Holy Grail" of fusion music, it showcased Jan, John McLaughlin, Bill Cobham, Jerry Goodman, and Ricky Laird pushing musical boundaries. The album received critical acclaim and commercial success, featuring Jan's classic "Sister Andrea."
Jan Hammer has established himself as a powerful force where contemporary music intersects with visual arts. From the Mahavishnu Orchestra’s neo-psychedelic era to the groundbreaking Miami Vice scores and his innovative film and television compositions, Jan continues to enrich the worlds of music and art with his visionary creativity.
