Jan Hammer
Encyclopedia
Jan Hammer (ˈjan ˈɦamɛr) (born 17 April 1948, in Prague
, then Czechoslovakia
, today the Czech Republic
) is a composer
, pianist
and keyboardist
. He first gained his most visible audience while playing keyboards with the Mahavishnu Orchestra in the early 1970s, as well as his film score
s for television and film including "Miami Vice Theme
" and "Crockett's Theme
", from the popular 1980s program, Miami Vice
. He 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 Jeff Beck
, Al Di Meola
, Mick Jagger
, Carlos Santana
, Stanley Clarke
, 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 award
s.
). His mother was a well-known Czech singer named Vlasta Průchová
, and his father was a doctor who worked his way through school playing vibes 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 Soviet Union
invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968, Hammer's studies at the Academy were cut short, and he moved to the United States
and resolved to become a citizen after receiving a scholarship at Berklee College of Music
in Boston.
Upon completion of his studies, Hammer spent a year touring with Sarah Vaughan
, recorded with Elvin Jones
and Jeremy Steig
, then moved to Lower Manhattan
and joined the original lineup of the Mahavishnu Orchestra with guitarist John McLaughlin
, violinist Jerry Goodman
, bassist Rick Laird
, and drummer Billy Cobham
in 1971. A successful jazz fusion
band, they performed some 530 shows before their farewell concert on December 30, 1973. Hammer was one of the early pioneers who played the Mini Moog synthesizer
in a touring group.
After recording albums with Goodman and John Abercrombie
(ECM session Timeless
with Jack DeJohnette
) in 1974, Hammer's solo career began with the release of The First Seven Days (1975). He produced and recorded the album at Red Gate Studio, which he'd built in his upstate New York
farmhouse and which has been the location of his recordings ever since.
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 Czech fairy-tale Šíleně smutná princezna; which translated in English means The Incredibly Sad Princess.
.
The '80s arrived with concurrent (though highly contrasting) projects with two of today's most respected guitarists. In 1977 with Al Di Meola
, Hammer recorded Elegant Gypsy
. 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
, utilizing his new Fairlight CMI
digital synthesizer and contributing to more than half of the album's compositions.
At the same time, the duo known as Schon & Hammer, with the mega-platinum band Journey
's guitarist Neal Schon
, recorded Untold Passion
in 1981 and Here to Stay in 1982.
Despite his active schedule, Hammer took the stage with Jeff Beck in December 1983 for the nine U.S. benefit concerts that raised money for Ronnie Lane
's A.R.M.S. (Action Research into Multiple Sclerosis), featuring Jimmy Page
, Eric Clapton
, Joe Cocker
and a host of others. Into 1984, his various talents were employed on recordings as diverse as James Young
's (Styx
) first solo album, City Slicker for which he co-wrote and produced; John Abercrombie
's Night; Mick Jagger
's first solo album, She's the Boss
; and Jeff Beck's Flash
which included Hammer's song "Escape", winner of the 1985 Grammy
award for "Best Rock Instrumental Performance".
enlisted him to commence the rigorous weekly schedule of scoring the series.
The popular success of his music on the series was evident after just one season when, on November 2, 1985, the Miami Vice Soundtrack hit number one on the Billboard
Top Pop album charts. The album achieved quadruple-platinum status with U.S. sales of more than four million copies.
At the Grammy awards in February 1986, "Miami Vice Theme" earned Hammer two awards; one for "Best Pop Instrumental Performance
" and one for "Best Instrumental Composition
". He also earned Emmy
award nominations in 1985 and 1986, for "Outstanding Achievement in Musical Composition". At the end of 1986, Hammer won Keyboard Magazine's poll as "Best Studio Synthesist" for a second consecutive year. He had previously won the "Best Lead Synthesist" honor for seven years, at which time he was inducted into the Keyboard Hall of Fame.
In 1988, Hammer bowed out of full-time musical chores for Miami Vice.
The first project to spring from the new Red Gate was Hammer's original soundtrack for Clinton and Nadine for HBO Films
.
Hammer's next two assignments contributed greatly to his next album. First, at the end of the summer, he was commissioned to compose and perform a theme entitled "The Runner" for a major series of television advertisements in England
that starred Bob Geldof
. Second, Hammer composed and performed the theme music for the top-rated new bi-weekly pan-European television series, Eurocops, which premiered in seven countries that November.
Snapshots was the first full album from the new Red Gate studio in 1989, with Hammer composing, performing and producing every track. The promo video for "Too Much to Lose," the album's first European single, featured Jeff Beck
, David Gilmour
of Pink Floyd
, and Ringo Starr
.
(a.k.a. "Dark Angel", composed in 89 but released in 1990), Curiosity Kills and all twenty episodes of the British television series, Chancer
, several episodes of HBO's Tales from the Crypt
; a television spot for Amnesty International
, featuring Czech president Václav Havel
, two pilots for NBC
, Knight Rider 2000
and News at 12, The Taking of Beverly Hills
(Columbia Pictures
) and New Line Cinema
's Sunset Heat
.
Hammer's next project was as composer and performer of the original score for the Miramar Productions video album, Beyond the Mind's Eye.
1994 was dominated by Hammer's recording of Drive, his first full-fledged album of original new non-soundtrack material under his name in several years. He was reunited with longtime partner Jeff Beck on "Underground", reminiscent of their collaborations of the past.
In 1995, Hammer returned to his scoring and soundtrack work. He began with the one hour Universal drama Vanishing Son
, then went on to compose the theme and score for 13 episodes of the series. He composed and performed the original music for two feature films, both released in 1996: A Modern Affair and In the Kingdom of the Blind the Man with One Eye Is King. Hammer wrapped up the year scoring Beastmaster III: The Eye of Braxus.
In 1996, Hammer's scoring assignments included the NBC Movie of the Week, The Babysitter’s Seduction, The Secret Agent Club, and The Corporate Ladder.
Also in 1996 (and through 2000) Hammer was commissioned to compose all the original music for TV Nova, the first commercial television network in Eastern Europe, based in the Czech Republic
. He composed everything—including themes for 23 original shows produced by the network, 50 separate station ID’s, the music for all of the network’s special broadcasts, plus the music for all the news, sports and weather programs.
In 1997, Hammer also composed the hard-driving rock soundtrack for the new CD-ROM game, Outlaw Racers (MegaMedia). His next project was the theme and original music score for the pilot and the series of Prince Street.
Hammer started off 1999 by writing, performing and producing a tune, "Even Odds" for Jeff Beck’s latest album Who Else! (Epic). Also, 1999 saw the release of The Lost Trident Sessions
, the third (and last) studio album from his former group, the Mahavishnu Orchestra. The album was recorded in 1973 just prior to the band's breakup.
, a 2006 documentary depicting the infamous Miami drug trade scene of the 1980s. Hammer's soundtrack of the film was released in 2007.
Also in the fall of 2004 Hammer released the album The Best of Miami Vice on the Reality label in the U.S. The Best of Miami Vice contains newly recorded versions of "Miami Vice Theme" and "Crockett’s Theme", as well as one bonus track never before released on CD.
In February 2005, after years of anticipation, Universal Studios Home Entertainment
finally released the first season of Miami Vice
on three double-sided DVDs. One of the package’s discs contained bonus material, including an extensive interview and archival footage of Hammer creating music for the show back in 1985.
To coincide with the release of the DVD, Reality Records released a newly recorded version of "Crockett’s Theme" to AC (Adult Contemporary) radio in America.
In 2006 Hammer was asked to collaborate with the singer/rapper TQ for a brand new version of his song "Crockett's Theme". The result of their work was The Jan Hammer Project Featuring TQ (Terrance Quaites
): Crockett's Theme. A CD single of this new version climbed up the charts in Europe, hitting #1 on the iTunes
Europe download list.
In an interview, Jan Hammer indicated that he is working on a compilation of unreleased works - which he hopes will be released before the end of 2011.
With Jeff Beck
(Epic):
With Al Di Meola
(Columbia):
With Carlos Santana
(Columbia):
With Stanley Clarke
(Nemperor):
With Billy Cobham
(Atlantic):
With Lenny White
(Nemperor):
With John Abercrombie
(ECM):
With The Freelance Hellraiser
(Sony/BMG):
With Tommy Bolin
(Atlantic):
With Elvin Jones
(Blue Note):
With Elvin Jones
(P.M.):
With Glen Moore
(Elektra):
With Joni Mitchell
(Asylum):
With Tony Williams (Columbia):
With Mick Jagger
(Columbia):
With James Young
(Passport):
With Clarence Clemons
(Columbia):
With Steve Lukather
(Columbia):
With Charlie Mariano
(MPS):
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, then Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, today the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
) is a composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
and keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
. He first gained his most visible audience while playing keyboards with the Mahavishnu Orchestra in the early 1970s, as well as his film score
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
s for television and film including "Miami Vice Theme
Miami Vice Theme
The musical piece Miami Vice Theme was created and performed by Jan Hammer as the theme to the television series Miami Vice. It was first presented as part of the television broadcast of the show in September 1984 and released as a single in 1985, peaking at the number one spot on the Billboard Hot...
" and "Crockett's Theme
Crockett's Theme
"Crockett's Theme" is an instrumental song written for the hit NBC series Miami Vice. The surname Crockett refers to Don Johnson's character, James "Sonny" Crockett. The initial version of the theme first appeared in the episode Calderone's Return: Part 1 - The Hit List which aired on October 19,...
", from the popular 1980s program, Miami Vice
Miami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
. He 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 Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
, Al Di Meola
Al Di Meola
Al Di Meola is an acclaimed American jazz fusion and Latin guitarist, composer, and record producer of Italian origin. With a musical career that has spanned more than three decades, he has become respected as one of the most influential guitarists in jazz to date...
, Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
, Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana
Carlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion...
, Stanley Clarke
Stanley Clarke
Stanley Clarke is an American jazz musician and composer known for his innovative and influential work on double bass and electric bass guitar as well as for his numerous film and television scores...
, Neal Schon
Neal Schon
Neal George Joseph Schon is an American rock guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist best known for his work with the band Journey. He is the only member to have recorded on all of Journey's albums...
, Steve Lukather
Steve Lukather
Steve "Luke" Lukather is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger, and record producer best known for his work with the rock band Toto. Lukather has played with many artists, released several solo albums, and worked as a composer, arranger, and session guitarist on more than 1,500 albums...
, and Elvin Jones
Elvin Jones
Elvin Ray Jones was a jazz drummer of the post-bop era. He showed interest in drums at a young age, watching the circus bands march by his family's home in Pontiac, Michigan....
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
Chancer
Chancer is a British television serial produced by Central Television for ITV. It tells the story of a likable conman and rogue at the end of the yuppie eighties...
.
His compositions have won him several Grammy award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s.
Early life
Jan Hammer was born in Prague, then capital of Czechoslovakia (now the Czech RepublicCzech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
). His mother was a well-known Czech singer named Vlasta Průchová
Vlasta Průchová
Vlasta Průchová was a Czech jazz singer. Since the second half of 1940s she gradually built up her leading role on the Czech jazz scene. Průchová is the mother of renowned Czech-American pianist and composer Jan Hammer.- Biography :Průchová was born to Czech parents who worked in Ružomberok,...
, and his father was a doctor who worked his way through school playing vibes 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 Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968, Hammer's studies at the Academy were cut short, and he moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and resolved to become a citizen after receiving a scholarship at Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
in Boston.
Upon completion of his studies, Hammer spent a year touring with Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Lois Vaughan was an American jazz singer, described by Scott Yanow as having "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century."...
, recorded with Elvin Jones
Elvin Jones
Elvin Ray Jones was a jazz drummer of the post-bop era. He showed interest in drums at a young age, watching the circus bands march by his family's home in Pontiac, Michigan....
and Jeremy Steig
Jeremy Steig
-Biography:Steig is the son of New Yorker cartoonist William Steig,At age 19 Steig was involved in a motorcycle accident which left him paralyzed on one side...
, then moved to Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
and joined the original lineup of the Mahavishnu Orchestra with guitarist John McLaughlin
John McLaughlin (musician)
John McLaughlin , also known as Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, is an English guitarist, bandleader and composer...
, violinist Jerry Goodman
Jerry Goodman
Jerry Goodman is an American violinist best known for playing electric violin in the bands The Flock and the jazz fusion Mahavishnu Orchestra. Goodman actually began his musical career as The Flock's roadie before joining the band on violin. Trained in the conservatory, both of his parents were...
, bassist Rick Laird
Rick Laird
Richard Quentin 'Rick' Laird is a jazz musician, born on 5 February 1941. He is a bass player best known for his place in The Mahavishnu Orchestra....
, and drummer Billy Cobham
Billy Cobham
William C. Cobham is a Panamanian American jazz drummer, composer and bandleader, who has called Switzerland home since the late 1970s....
in 1971. A successful jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
band, they performed some 530 shows before their farewell concert on December 30, 1973. Hammer was one of the early pioneers who played the Mini Moog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...
in a touring group.
After recording albums with Goodman and John Abercrombie
John Abercrombie (guitarist)
John Abercrombie is an American jazz guitarist, whose work often explores jazz fusion and post bop. Abercrombie has played with Billy Cobham, Jack DeJohnette, Michael Brecker and Randy Brecker...
(ECM session Timeless
Timeless (1974)
Timeless is jazz guitarist John Abercrombie's debut album as leader, recorded in 1974. Critically acclaimed at the time, the album has since come to be regarded as a seminal work of jazz fusion, although the music itself is original enough to defy such categorisation.- Overview :In Abercrombie's...
with Jack DeJohnette
Jack DeJohnette
Jack DeJohnette is an American jazz drummer, pianist, and composer. He is one of the most influential jazz drummers of the 20th century, due to extensive work as leader and sideman for musicians like Miles Davis, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Keith Jarrett and Sonny...
) in 1974, Hammer's solo career began with the release of The First Seven Days (1975). He produced and recorded the album at Red Gate Studio, which he'd built in his upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
farmhouse and which has been the location of his recordings ever since.
The Jan Hammer Group was formed in 1976 and supported The First Seven Days on tour, receiving good reviews from both jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
critics. The group turned out three LPs the following year: their own Oh, Yeah? and, with Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
, the RIAA platinum Wired (with Jan's "Blue Wind"), and Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live
Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live
Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live is a live album by Jeff Beck, released in 1977 on Epic Records.-Side one:# "Freeway Jam" - 7:21# "Earth " - 4:34...
, a chronicle of their 100-show tour together, certified gold. One final album by the group followed in 1977, Melodies.
Hammer composed music for Czech fairy-tale Šíleně smutná princezna; which translated in English means The Incredibly Sad Princess.
1970s and 80s
Hammer returned to solo work with the release of Black Sheep in 1978. He then formed a new band, known as "Hammer". Also in 1978, he wrote and performed on three songs for Jeff Beck's next album, There and Back which was released in 1980. One of the album tracks, "Star Cycle," went on to become the theme for the British television series The TubeThe Tube (TV series)
The Tube was an innovative United Kingdom pop/rock music television programme, which ran for five seasons, from 5 November 1982 until 1987...
.
The '80s arrived with concurrent (though highly contrasting) projects with two of today's most respected guitarists. In 1977 with Al Di Meola
Al Di Meola
Al Di Meola is an acclaimed American jazz fusion and Latin guitarist, composer, and record producer of Italian origin. With a musical career that has spanned more than three decades, he has become respected as one of the most influential guitarists in jazz to date...
, Hammer recorded Elegant Gypsy
Elegant Gypsy
Elegant Gypsy is the second album by American jazz fusion guitarist Al Di Meola, released in 1977. It was a follow-up album to Di Meola's debut release, Land of the Midnight Sun. The distinctive music in the album is a speedy fusion of jazz and rock, with lightning-fast guitar riffs intermixed with...
. Casino, Splendido Hotel and Electric Rendezvous
Electric Rendezvous
Electric Rendezvous is an album by Italian-American jazz fusion and Latin jazz guitarist Al Di Meola released in 1982. It features Flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucía who also recorded Friday Night in San Francisco with Di Meola.-Track listing:...
followed. He then joined Di Meola for a tour chronicled the same year on Tour De Force - Live
Tour De Force - Live
Tour de Force - Live is a live album by Italian-American jazz fusion and Latin jazz guitarist Al Di Meola, released in 1982, and recorded at the Tower Theatre, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on February 4, 1982...
; and finally appeared throughout Scenario
Scenario (album)
Scenario is a 1983 album by jazz fusion guitarist, Al Di Meola. It furthered the musical direction that became apparent on his previous album Electric Rendezvous and saw a greater influence of keyboard player Jan Hammer on the album...
, utilizing his new Fairlight CMI
Fairlight CMI
The Fairlight CMI is a digital sampling synthesizer. It was designed in 1979 by the founders of Fairlight, Peter Vogel and Kim Ryrie, and based on a dual-6800 microprocessor computer designed by Tony Furse in Sydney, Australia...
digital synthesizer and contributing to more than half of the album's compositions.
At the same time, the duo known as Schon & Hammer, with the mega-platinum band Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
's guitarist Neal Schon
Neal Schon
Neal George Joseph Schon is an American rock guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist best known for his work with the band Journey. He is the only member to have recorded on all of Journey's albums...
, recorded Untold Passion
Untold Passion
Untold Passion is the debut album by the duo of composer Jan Hammer and guitarist Neal Schon. Hammer is best known for his soundtrack work on the Miami Vice TV series, and Schon is the guitarist from the band Journey.-Track listing:...
in 1981 and Here to Stay in 1982.
Despite his active schedule, Hammer took the stage with Jeff Beck in December 1983 for the nine U.S. benefit concerts that raised money for Ronnie Lane
Ronnie Lane
Ronald Frederick "Ronnie" Lane was an English musician, songwriter, and producer who is best known as the bass guitarist and founding member of two prominent English rock and roll bands; the Small Faces where he was nicknamed "Plonk", – and, after losing the band's frontman, Faces, with two new...
's A.R.M.S. (Action Research into Multiple Sclerosis), featuring Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
, Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, Joe Cocker
Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE is an English rock and blues musician, composer and actor, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice, his idiosyncratic arm movements while performing, and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles...
and a host of others. Into 1984, his various talents were employed on recordings as diverse as James Young
James Young (American musician)
James "J.Y." Young is a guitarist, singer and songwriter, and member of the rock band, Styx. Young began playing keyboard and piano at the age of five. He attended Calumet High in Chicago and learned to play clarinet and guitar during those years.J.Y...
's (Styx
Styx (band)
Styx is an American rock band that became famous for its albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Chicago band is known for melding the style of prog-rock with the power of hard rock guitar, strong ballads, and elements of American musical theater....
) first solo album, City Slicker for which he co-wrote and produced; John Abercrombie
John Abercrombie (guitarist)
John Abercrombie is an American jazz guitarist, whose work often explores jazz fusion and post bop. Abercrombie has played with Billy Cobham, Jack DeJohnette, Michael Brecker and Randy Brecker...
's Night; Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
's first solo album, She's the Boss
She's the Boss
She's the Boss is the solo album debut by The Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger released in 1985. When the Stones signed with CBS Records in 1983, one of the options available to them was for individual projects, and Jagger—ready to spread his wings after recording exclusively with the famous...
; and Jeff Beck's Flash
Flash (Jeff Beck album)
Flash is a 1985 album by rock guitarist Jeff Beck. It was produced by Nile Rodgers and hit #42 in the US, while winning the 1986 Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental performance for Escape song...
which included Hammer's song "Escape", winner of the 1985 Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
award for "Best Rock Instrumental Performance".
Miami Vice and successes
Hammer's original scores for three major motion pictures complement a long list of credits for documentaries, "made-for-TV" movies in the U.S., commercials, and station identifications. But his greatest challenge came in the fall of 1984, when the producers of Miami ViceMiami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
enlisted him to commence the rigorous weekly schedule of scoring the series.
The popular success of his music on the series was evident after just one season when, on November 2, 1985, the Miami Vice Soundtrack hit number one on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Top Pop album charts. The album achieved quadruple-platinum status with U.S. sales of more than four million copies.
At the Grammy awards in February 1986, "Miami Vice Theme" earned Hammer two awards; one for "Best Pop Instrumental Performance
Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance was awarded between 1969 and 2011.*In 1969 it was awarded as Best Contemporary-Pop Performance, Instrumental*From 1970 to 1971 it was awarded as Best Contemporary Instrumental Performance...
" and one for "Best Instrumental Composition
Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition
The Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition has been awarded since 1960. The award is presented to the composer of the music.There have been several minor changes to the name of the award:...
". He also earned Emmy
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
award nominations in 1985 and 1986, for "Outstanding Achievement in Musical Composition". At the end of 1986, Hammer won Keyboard Magazine's poll as "Best Studio Synthesist" for a second consecutive year. He had previously won the "Best Lead Synthesist" honor for seven years, at which time he was inducted into the Keyboard Hall of Fame.
In 1988, Hammer bowed out of full-time musical chores for Miami Vice.
The first project to spring from the new Red Gate was Hammer's original soundtrack for Clinton and Nadine for HBO Films
HBO Films
HBO Films is a division of the cable television network HBO that produces feature films and miniseries. While much of HBO Films' output is created directly for the television market, such as the film Witness Protection and the mini-series Band of Brothers, Pacific, Generation Kill and Angels in...
.
Hammer's next two assignments contributed greatly to his next album. First, at the end of the summer, he was commissioned to compose and perform a theme entitled "The Runner" for a major series of television advertisements in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
that starred Bob Geldof
Bob Geldof
Robert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his...
. Second, Hammer composed and performed the theme music for the top-rated new bi-weekly pan-European television series, Eurocops, which premiered in seven countries that November.
Snapshots was the first full album from the new Red Gate studio in 1989, with Hammer composing, performing and producing every track. The promo video for "Too Much to Lose," the album's first European single, featured Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
, David Gilmour
David Gilmour
David Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
of Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
, and Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
.
The 90s
The '90s saw a renewed focus on scoring, starting with I Come in PeaceI Come in Peace
I Come in Peace is a 1990 science fiction action thriller feature film about a rule-breaking vice cop who becomes involved in the investigation of a number of mysterious drug-related murders on the streets of Houston, Texas. The film was directed by Craig R...
(a.k.a. "Dark Angel", composed in 89 but released in 1990), Curiosity Kills and all twenty episodes of the British television series, Chancer
Chancer
Chancer is a British television serial produced by Central Television for ITV. It tells the story of a likable conman and rogue at the end of the yuppie eighties...
, several episodes of HBO's Tales from the Crypt
Tales from the Crypt (TV series)
Tales from the Crypt, sometimes titled HBO's Tales from the Crypt, is an American horror anthology television series that ran from 1989 to 1996 on the premium cable channel HBO...
; a television spot for Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, featuring Czech president Václav Havel
Václav Havel
Václav Havel is a Czech playwright, essayist, poet, dissident and politician. He was the tenth and last President of Czechoslovakia and the first President of the Czech Republic . He has written over twenty plays and numerous non-fiction works, translated internationally...
, two pilots for NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, Knight Rider 2000
Knight Rider 2000
Knight Rider 2000 is a 1991 sequel movie to the television series Knight Rider. It is included in the Region 1, Region 2 and Region 4 versions of the Knight Rider Season One box set/...
and News at 12, The Taking of Beverly Hills
The Taking of Beverly Hills
The Taking of Beverly Hills is a 1991 American action film, directed by Sidney J. Furie. An action film in the vein of Die Hard, the film stars Ken Wahl, fresh off the success of the television series Wiseguy, as football hero Boomer Hayes, with Matt Frewer stepping up to the plate as his sidekick,...
(Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
) and New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema, often simply referred to as New Line, is an American film studio. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne as a film distributor, later becoming an independent film studio. It became a subsidiary of Time Warner in 1996 and was merged with larger sister studio Warner...
's Sunset Heat
Sunset Heat (film)
Sunset Heat is a 1992 thriller film starring Michael Paré, 1980s pop star Adam Ant, and Dennis Hopper. In its obituary of Hopper, The Telegraph called this a "forgettable film" which nonetheless allowed Hopper to pay his alimony...
.
Hammer's next project was as composer and performer of the original score for the Miramar Productions video album, Beyond the Mind's Eye.
1994 was dominated by Hammer's recording of Drive, his first full-fledged album of original new non-soundtrack material under his name in several years. He was reunited with longtime partner Jeff Beck on "Underground", reminiscent of their collaborations of the past.
In 1995, Hammer returned to his scoring and soundtrack work. He began with the one hour Universal drama Vanishing Son
Vanishing Son
Vanishing Son is a short-lived syndicated action television series that was part of Universal Television's Action Pack. Starting as a series of four made for television movies in 1994, the series debuted on January 16, 1995...
, then went on to compose the theme and score for 13 episodes of the series. He composed and performed the original music for two feature films, both released in 1996: A Modern Affair and In the Kingdom of the Blind the Man with One Eye Is King. Hammer wrapped up the year scoring Beastmaster III: The Eye of Braxus.
In 1996, Hammer's scoring assignments included the NBC Movie of the Week, The Babysitter’s Seduction, The Secret Agent Club, and The Corporate Ladder.
Also in 1996 (and through 2000) Hammer was commissioned to compose all the original music for TV Nova, the first commercial television network in Eastern Europe, based in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. He composed everything—including themes for 23 original shows produced by the network, 50 separate station ID’s, the music for all of the network’s special broadcasts, plus the music for all the news, sports and weather programs.
In 1997, Hammer also composed the hard-driving rock soundtrack for the new CD-ROM game, Outlaw Racers (MegaMedia). His next project was the theme and original music score for the pilot and the series of Prince Street.
Hammer started off 1999 by writing, performing and producing a tune, "Even Odds" for Jeff Beck’s latest album Who Else! (Epic). Also, 1999 saw the release of The Lost Trident Sessions
The Lost Trident Sessions
The Lost Trident Sessions was an incomplete album by the Mahavishnu Orchestra. The album was recorded in 1973, but was not released until 1999, by Columbia/Legacy....
, the third (and last) studio album from his former group, the Mahavishnu Orchestra. The album was recorded in 1973 just prior to the band's breakup.
2000 to Present
Jan Hammer produced the original score for Cocaine CowboysCocaine Cowboys
Cocaine Cowboys is a 2006 documentary film directed by Billy Corben and produced by Alfred Spellman and Billy Corben through their Miami-based media studio Rakontur. The film explores the rise of cocaine and resulting crime epidemic that swept the American city of Miami, Florida in the 1970s and...
, a 2006 documentary depicting the infamous Miami drug trade scene of the 1980s. Hammer's soundtrack of the film was released in 2007.
Also in the fall of 2004 Hammer released the album The Best of Miami Vice on the Reality label in the U.S. The Best of Miami Vice contains newly recorded versions of "Miami Vice Theme" and "Crockett’s Theme", as well as one bonus track never before released on CD.
In February 2005, after years of anticipation, Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is the home video division of Universal Pictures...
finally released the first season of Miami Vice
Miami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
on three double-sided DVDs. One of the package’s discs contained bonus material, including an extensive interview and archival footage of Hammer creating music for the show back in 1985.
To coincide with the release of the DVD, Reality Records released a newly recorded version of "Crockett’s Theme" to AC (Adult Contemporary) radio in America.
In 2006 Hammer was asked to collaborate with the singer/rapper TQ for a brand new version of his song "Crockett's Theme". The result of their work was The Jan Hammer Project Featuring TQ (Terrance Quaites
Terrance Quaites
Terrance Quaites , known professionally as TQ, is an American R&B singer. He is perhaps best known for his hit song "Westside", which became a top 40 hit in several countries in 1998.-Music:...
): Crockett's Theme. A CD single of this new version climbed up the charts in Europe, hitting #1 on the iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
Europe download list.
In an interview, Jan Hammer indicated that he is working on a compilation of unreleased works - which he hopes will be released before the end of 2011.
As leader
| Album |
|---|
| The Jan Hammer Trio Maliny Maliny (aka Make Love) (1968) MPS Records MPS Records MPS Records was a German jazz record label founded in 1968. MPS stands for "Musik Produktion Schwarzwald" .-History:... |
| Jerry Goodman & Jan Hammer Like Children (1974) Nemperor / Sony |
| Jan Hammer The First Seven Days The First Seven Days The First Seven Days is an album recorded by jazz musician Jan Hammer in 1975. It features extensive use of synthesizers, including the synthesized "guitar" parts , with the record jacket stating, "For those concerned: there is no guitar on this album." it is considered one of the pioneering works... (1975) Nemperor / Sony |
| Jan Hammer Group Oh Yeah? Oh Yeah? Oh Yeah? is an album recorded by jazz fusion musician Jan Hammer in 1976.-Track listing:# Magical Dog - Hammer # One to One - Hammer, Smith # Evolove - Rick Laird # Oh, Yeah? - Hammer, Saunders... (1976) Nemperor / Sony |
| Jan Hammer Group Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live is a live album by Jeff Beck, released in 1977 on Epic Records.-Side one:# "Freeway Jam" - 7:21# "Earth " - 4:34... (1977) Epic |
| Jan Hammer Group Melodies (1977) Nemperor / Sony |
| Hammer Black Sheep (1978) Elektra / Asylum |
| Hammer Hammer (1979) Elektra / Asylum |
| Neal Schon & Jan Hammer Untold Passion Untold Passion Untold Passion is the debut album by the duo of composer Jan Hammer and guitarist Neal Schon. Hammer is best known for his soundtrack work on the Miami Vice TV series, and Schon is the guitarist from the band Journey.-Track listing:... (1981) Columbia |
| Neal Schon & Jan Hammer Here to Stay (1983) Columbia |
| Jan Hammer Miami Vice Miami Vice Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989... (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 Snaphots 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 |
As sideman
With the Mahavishnu Orchestra (Columbia):| Album |
|---|
| John McLaughlin with The Mahavishnu Orchestra The Inner Mounting Flame The Inner Mounting Flame The Inner Mounting Flame is Mahavishnu Orchestra's first studio album, released in 1971 and consisting solely of original compositions by John McLaughlin.... (1971) |
| The Mahavishnu Orchestra Birds of Fire Birds of Fire Birds of Fire is Mahavishnu Orchestra's second album. It was released in the first half of 1973 and is the last studio album by the original Mahavishnu Orchestra line-up, before the group dissolved, although Between Nothingness and Eternity, a live album, was recorded and released later that same... (1972) |
| The Mahavishnu Orchestra Between Nothingness and Eternity Between Nothingness and Eternity Between Nothingness and Eternity is the first live album of Mahavishnu Orchestra, and last with the original line-up, released in 1973. According to the Mahavishnu Orchestra Gigs listing by Walter Kolosky, it was recorded live at the Schaefer Music Festival, held in Central Park, New York on August... (1973) |
| The Mahavishnu Orchestra The Best of The Mahavishnu Orchestra (1980) |
| The Mahavishnu Orchestra The Lost Trident Sessions The Lost Trident Sessions The Lost Trident Sessions was an incomplete album by the Mahavishnu Orchestra. The album was recorded in 1973, but was not released until 1999, by Columbia/Legacy.... (recorded 1973, released 1999) |
With Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
(Epic):
| Album |
|---|
| Jeff Beck Wired (1976) |
| Jeff Beck Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live is a live album by Jeff Beck, released in 1977 on Epic Records.-Side one:# "Freeway Jam" - 7:21# "Earth " - 4:34... (1977) |
| Jeff Beck There and Back (1980) |
| Jeff Beck Flash Flash (Jeff Beck album) Flash is a 1985 album by rock guitarist Jeff Beck. It was produced by Nile Rodgers and hit #42 in the US, while winning the 1986 Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental performance for Escape song... (1985) |
| Jeff Beck Beckology Beckology Beckology by guitarist Jeff Beck was released in 1991 as a 3 CD career retrospective. Beckology covers the work of a guitarist widely acknowledged as one of the most influential and gifted exponents of the electric guitar, from early days with The Tridents through to his Guitar Shop album in... (1991) |
| Jeff Beck The Best of Beck (1995) |
| Jeff Beck Who Else! (1999) |
With Al Di Meola
Al Di Meola
Al Di Meola is an acclaimed American jazz fusion and Latin guitarist, composer, and record producer of Italian origin. With a musical career that has spanned more than three decades, he has become respected as one of the most influential guitarists in jazz to date...
(Columbia):
| Album |
|---|
| Al Di Meola Elegant Gypsy Elegant Gypsy Elegant Gypsy is the second album by American jazz fusion guitarist Al Di Meola, released in 1977. It was a follow-up album to Di Meola's debut release, Land of the Midnight Sun. The distinctive music in the album is a speedy fusion of jazz and rock, with lightning-fast guitar riffs intermixed with... (1977) |
| Al Di Meola Splendido Hotel Splendido Hotel Splendido Hotel is an album by Italian-American jazz fusion and Latin jazz guitarist Al Di Meola released in 1980 as a double LP, and later CD.-Track listing:All songs by Al Di Meola unless otherwise noted.#"Alien Chase On Arabian Desert"... (1980) |
| Al Di Meola Electric Rendezvous Electric Rendezvous Electric Rendezvous is an album by Italian-American jazz fusion and Latin jazz guitarist Al Di Meola released in 1982. It features Flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucía who also recorded Friday Night in San Francisco with Di Meola.-Track listing:... (1982) |
| Al Di Meola Tour De Force - Live Tour De Force - Live Tour de Force - Live is a live album by Italian-American jazz fusion and Latin jazz guitarist Al Di Meola, released in 1982, and recorded at the Tower Theatre, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on February 4, 1982... (1982) |
| Al Di Meola Scenario Scenario (album) Scenario is a 1983 album by jazz fusion guitarist, Al Di Meola. It furthered the musical direction that became apparent on his previous album Electric Rendezvous and saw a greater influence of keyboard player Jan Hammer on the album... (1984) |
| Al Di Meola The Electric Anthology (1995) |
| Al Di Meola This Is Jazz Volume 31 (1997) |
| Al Di Meola Anthology (2000) |
With Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana
Carlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion...
(Columbia):
- Love Devotion SurrenderLove Devotion SurrenderLove Devotion Surrender is an album released in 1973 by guitarists Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin, with the backing of their respective bands . The album was inspired by the teachings of Sri Chinmoy and intended as a tribute to John Coltrane...
(1973) - Drums
With Stanley Clarke
Stanley Clarke
Stanley Clarke is an American jazz musician and composer known for his innovative and influential work on double bass and electric bass guitar as well as for his numerous film and television scores...
(Nemperor):
- Stanley ClarkeStanley Clarke (album)Stanley Clarke is the second album of the bassist Stanley Clarke.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Stanley Clarke; except where indicated# "Vulcan Princess" – 4:00# "Yesterday Princess" – 1:41# "Lopsy Lu" – 7:03...
(1973) - Keyboards
With Billy Cobham
Billy Cobham
William C. Cobham is a Panamanian American jazz drummer, composer and bandleader, who has called Switzerland home since the late 1970s....
(Atlantic):
- Spectrum (1973) - Keyboards
With Lenny White
Lenny White
Leonard White III, better known as Lenny White is an American jazz fusion drummer, who is best known for playing in Chick Corea's Return to Forever.-Biography:...
(Nemperor):
- Big CityBig CityBig City may refer to:* Big City , a fictional future city in Antarctica*The Big City , directed by Tod Browning*Big City , a 1937 film, directed by Frank Borzage, starring Luise Rainer and Spencer Tracy...
(1977) - Keyboards
With John Abercrombie
John Abercrombie (guitarist)
John Abercrombie is an American jazz guitarist, whose work often explores jazz fusion and post bop. Abercrombie has played with Billy Cobham, Jack DeJohnette, Michael Brecker and Randy Brecker...
(ECM):
- Timeless - Keyboards
- NightNight (John Abercrombie album)Night is an album by guitarist John Abercrombie recorded in 1984 and released on the ECM label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Daniel Gioffre awarded the album 4½ stars stating "This record is the kind of album that one would like to hear while enjoying a late-night cigarette on the roof of a...
(1984) - Keyboards
With The Freelance Hellraiser
The Freelance Hellraiser
Roy Kerr, aka The Freelance Hellraiser, is one of the creators of the UK bootleg scene.He gained fame with a mash-up called "A Stroke of Genius", which combined an instrumental edit of The Strokes' track "Hard To Explain" with Christina Aguilera's pop hit "Genie in a Bottle"...
(Sony/BMG):
- Waiting For Clearance (2006) - Keyboards
With Tommy Bolin
Tommy Bolin
Thomas Richard "Tommy" Bolin was an American-born guitarist who played with Zephyr , The James Gang , and Deep Purple , in addition to doing solo work...
(Atlantic):
- Teaser (1975) - Keyboards, Drums
- From The Archives Vol. 1 (1996) - Keyboards
With Elvin Jones
Elvin Jones
Elvin Ray Jones was a jazz drummer of the post-bop era. He showed interest in drums at a young age, watching the circus bands march by his family's home in Pontiac, Michigan....
(Blue Note):
- Merry-Go-RoundMerry-Go-Round (album)Merry-Go-Round is an album by American jazz drummer Elvin Jones recorded in 1971 and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 3 stars stating "the music is generally quite worthwhile, if a bit eclectic.....
(session December 16, 1971) - Piano - Mr. JonesMr. Jones (Elvin Jones album)Mr. Jones is an album by American jazz drummer Elvin Jones recorded in 1972 and released on the Blue Note label.-Reception:The Allmusic review awarded the album 4½ stars.-Track listing:# "One's Native Place" - 6:14# "Gee Gee" - 5:45# "Mr...
(sessions July 12 & 13, 1972) - Piano - The Prime Element (sessions July 24–26, 1973) - Keyboards
With Elvin Jones
Elvin Jones
Elvin Ray Jones was a jazz drummer of the post-bop era. He showed interest in drums at a young age, watching the circus bands march by his family's home in Pontiac, Michigan....
(P.M.):
- On the Mountain (1975) - Keyboards
With Glen Moore
Glen Moore
Glen Moore is a jazz bassist who occasionally performs on piano, flute and violin.His performing career began at age 14 with the Young Oregonians in Portland, Oregon where he met and played with Native American saxophonist, Jim Pepper. He graduated with a degree in History and Literature from the...
(Elektra):
- Introducing Glen Moore (1978) - Drums
With Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
(Asylum):
- Mingus (1979) - Mini Moog
With Tony Williams (Columbia):
- The Joy of FlyingThe Joy of FlyingThe Joy Of Flying is a Jazz fusion album by Tony Williams. Although it was recorded at the end of the The Tony Williams Lifetime years, it is considered a solo album. It includes three duets, two with Jan Hammer and one with Cecil Taylor, and three different quartets. The first quartet features Jan...
(1979) - Keyboards
With Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
(Columbia):
- She's the BossShe's the BossShe's the Boss is the solo album debut by The Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger released in 1985. When the Stones signed with CBS Records in 1983, one of the options available to them was for individual projects, and Jagger—ready to spread his wings after recording exclusively with the famous...
(1985) - Keyboards
With James Young
James Young (American musician)
James "J.Y." Young is a guitarist, singer and songwriter, and member of the rock band, Styx. Young began playing keyboard and piano at the age of five. He attended Calumet High in Chicago and learned to play clarinet and guitar during those years.J.Y...
(Passport):
- City Slicker (1985) - Keyboards, Drums
With Clarence Clemons
Clarence Clemons
Clarence Anicholas Clemons, Jr. , also known as The Big Man, was an American musician and actor. From 1972 until his death, he was a prominent member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, playing the tenor saxophone. He released several solo albums and in 1985, had a hit single with "You're a...
(Columbia):
- An Evening With Mr. C (1989) - Keyboards, Drums
With Steve Lukather
Steve Lukather
Steve "Luke" Lukather is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger, and record producer best known for his work with the rock band Toto. Lukather has played with many artists, released several solo albums, and worked as a composer, arranger, and session guitarist on more than 1,500 albums...
(Columbia):
- LukatherLukatherLukather is the first solo album from Toto guitarist Steve Lukather released in 1989.-History:Lukather came about after Toto had been recording and playing for eleven years and the band consensus was to take a break. Since Lukather had a number of songs written that did not appear on Toto albums,...
(1989) - Keyboards
With Charlie Mariano
Charlie Mariano
Carmine Ugo Mariano was an American jazz alto saxophonist. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts and died in Cologne, Germany.-Biography:Mariano was the son of Italian immigrants....
(MPS):
- Helen 12 Trees (1976) - Keyboards