Jan Hammer Biography (1948-)

Name is pronounced "Yon Hom-mer"; born April 17, 1948, in Prague, Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic); immigrated to the United States, 1968; son of Jan Hammer, Sr. (a physician and a jazz musician); mother, a jazz singer; married, wife's name, Ivona; children: one daughter, one son.

Nationality: Czech
Gender: Male
Occupation: Musician, composer, music arranger
Birth Details: April 17, 1948; Prague, Czechoslovakia

Famous Works

CREDITS
Film Work
Music Performer
Secret Admirer, Orion, 1985
The Taking of Beverly Hills (also known as Boomer: The Taking of Beverly Hills), Columbia, 1991
"Miami Vice Theme," Charlie's Angels, Columbia, 2000
Television Work
Music Performer; Movies
Two Fathers' Justice (also known as Two Fathers), NBC, 1985
Charley Hannah, ABC, 1986
Song "Nowhere to Go," Clinton and Nadine (also known as Blood Money, Blood Money: The Story of Clinton and Nadine, and Night Hunt), HBO, 1988
Television Appearances
Specials
Les Paul: He Changed the Music (also known as Cinemax Sessions), Cinemax, 1988
RECORDINGS
Albums; with Jeremy Steig
Energy, Capitol, 1970
Fusion, Capitol, 1981
Albums; with Elvin Jones
On the Mountain, PM Records, 1970
Merry-Go-Round, Blue Note, 1972
Mr. Jones, Blue Note, 1973
Prime Element, Blue Note, 1977
At This Point in Time, Blue Note, 1999
Albums; with the Mahavishnu Orchestra
The Inner Mounting Flame, Columbia, 1972
Between Nothingness and Eternity, Columbia, 1973
Birds of Fire, Columbia, 1973
Best of Mahavishnu Orchestra, Columbia, 1982
The Lost Trident Sessions, Columbia, 1999
Albums; with Steve Grossman
Some Shapes to Come, PM Records/One Way, 1974
Terra Firma, PM Records, 1976
Albums; with John Abercrombie
Timeless, ECM, 1974
(And with David Earle Johnson) Midweek Blues, Plug, 1983
Night, ECM, 1984
Works, ECM, 1991
Albums; with the Jan Hammer Group
Oh, Yeah?, Nemperor, 1976
Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live, Nemperor, 1977
Melodies, Nemperor, 1977
Black Sheep, Elektra/Asylum, 1978
Hammer, Elektra/Asylum, 1979
Beckology, Epic, 1991
Best of Beck, Epic, 1995
Albums; with Jeff Beck
Wired, Epic, 1976
Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live, Nemperor, 1977
There and Back, Epic, 1980
Flash (includes the song "Escape"), Epic, 1985
(Song "Even Odds") Who Else?, Epic, 1999
Albums; with David Earle Johnson
Time Is Free, Vanguard, 1977
Hip Address, CMP/One Way, 1980
(And with John Abercrombie) Midweek Blues, Plug, 1983
Albums; with Al Di Meola
Elegant Gypsy, Columbia, 1977
Splendido Hotel, Columbia, 1980
Electric Rendezvous, Columbia, 1982
Tour de Force--Live, Columbia, 1983

Scenario, Columbia, 1984
The Electric Anthology, One Way, 1995
This Is Jazz Volume 31, Columbia, 1997
Anthology, Columbia, 2000
Albums; with Neal Schon
Untold Passion, Columbia, 1981
Here to Stay, Columbia, 1983
No More Lies, Sony/Razor & Tie, 1998
Albums
(With the Jan Hammer Trio) Maliny Maliny (also known as Make Love), MPS, 1968
(With Frank Foster) Loud Minority, Mainstream, 1971
(With the Fania All-Stars) Latin Soul Rock, Fania, 1973
(With Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin) Love, Devotion, Surrender, Columbia, 1973
(With Billy Cobham) Spectrum, Atlantic, 1973
(With Horace Arnold) Tales of an Exonerated Flea, Columbia, 1973
(With Jerry Goodman) Like Children, Nemperor, 1974
(With Stanley Clarke) Stanley Clarke, Nemperor, 1974
The First Seven Days, Nemperor, 1975
(With Tommy Bolin) Teaser, Nemperor, 1975
(With Harvey Mason) Earthmover, Arista, 1976
(With Charlie Mariano) Helen Twelve Trees, MPS, 1976
(With Lenny White) Big City, Nemperor/Wounded Bird, 1977
(With Roy Buchanan) Loading Zone, Atlantic, 1977
(With Glen Moore) Introducing Glen Moore, Elektra, 1978
(With Tony Williams) The Joy of Flying, Columbia, 1979
(With Didier Lockwood) Live in Montreux, MPS, 1980
(With Yoshiaki Masuo) Finger Dancing, King, 1981
(With Tom Teeley) Tales of Glamour and Distress, A & M, 1984
(With James Young) City Slicker, Passport, 1985
Miami Vice, MCA, 1985
(With Mick Jagger) She's the Boss, Columbia, 1985
The Early Years (1974-77) (retrospective compilation), Nemperor, 1986 Sony, 1987
Escape from Television, MCA, 1987
(With Clarence Clemons) An Evening with Mr. C, Columbia, 1989
(With Steve Lukather) Lukather, Columbia, 1989
Snapshots, MCA, 1989
Beyond the Mind's Eye, Miramar/MCA, 1992
Drive, Miramar, 1995
Pure Moods (compilation album), Virgin, 1997
Snapshots 1.2, One Way, 2000
Hammer's music is also featured on other albums, including Tube Tunes.
WRITINGS
Film Music
Silene smutna princezna, [Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic)], 1968
A Night in Heaven, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1983
Gimme an "F" (also known as T & A Academy), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1984
Secret Admirer, Orion, 1985
V zaru kralovske e lasky (also known as The Flames of Royal Love), [Czech Republic], 1990
I Come in Peace (also known as Dark Angel), Triumph, 1991
The Taking of Beverly Hills (also known as Boomer: The Taking of Beverly Hills), Columbia, 1991
Midnight Heat (also known as Sunset Heat), New Line Cinema,1992
A Modern Affair (also known as A Fine Specimen, Mr. 247, and Number 247), Tara Releasing, 1994
Beastmaster III: The Eye of Braxus (also known as Beastmaster III), MCA Home Entertainment, 1995
In the Kingdom of the Blind (also known as In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King), Arrow Video, 1995
The Secret Agent Club, Cabin Fever Entertainment, 1996
The Corporate Ladder, Motion Picture Corporation of America, 1997
Jmeno kodu: Rubin (also known as Code Name: Ruby), [Czech Republic], 1997
Television Music
Series
Miami Vice (includes the "Miami Vice Theme"), NBC, 1984-1989
Eurocops (also known as Euroflics), 1988
Chancer, Central Television, 1990-1991
Vanishing Son, syndicated, 1994-1995
Prince Street, NBC, 1997
Movies
Two Fathers' Justice (also known as Two Fathers), NBC, 1985
Charley Hannah, ABC, 1986
Clinton and Nadine (also known as Blood Money, Blood Money: The Story of Clinton and Nadine, and Night Hunt), HBO, 1988
Curiosity Kills (also known as Curiosity Killed the Cat), USA Network, 1991
K-9000, Fox, 1991
Knight Rider 2000, NBC, 1991
The Babysitter's Seduction (also known as Death Pays the Sitter), NBC, 1996
Specials
Czeslaw Milosz: The Poet Remembers, PBS, 1990
Three's a Crowd, 1990
Episodic
"Mute Witness to Murder," Tales from the Crypt (also known as HBO's Tales from the Crypt), HBO, 1990
"Three's a Crowd," Tales from the Crypt (also known as HBO's Tales from the Crypt), HBO, 1990
Pilots
(Theme) Miami Vice: Brother's Keeper, NBC, 1985
Capital News, ABC, 1990
News at 12, 1991
(Theme) Prince Street, NBC, 1997
Music Videos
Music videos include "Too Much to Lose."
Videos
Beyond the Mind's Eye (animated), BMG Video, 1992
Video Games
Police Quest III: The Kindred, Sierra On-Line, 1992
Outlaw Racers, Mega Media, 1997

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books

Contemporary Musicians, Volume 21, Gale, 1998
Contemporary Newsmakers, Volume 87, issue 3, Gale, 1988
Coryell, Julie, and Laura Friedman, Jazz-Rock Fusion: The People, theMusic, Delta, 1978

Periodicals

Chicago Tribune, December 15, 1985
Contemporary Keyboard, October, 1978 May, 1982 September, 1985
Crawdaddy, November, 1973
Crescendo International, May, 1981
Detroit News, April 20, 1987
down beat, April 26, 1973 March 11, 1976 October 21, 1976 January26, 1978 November 26, 1980 March 26, 1983 June 26, 1985 September 26, 1986
Guitar Player, December, 1981 December, 1982
Los Angeles Times, December 7, 1983 October 27, 1985
Musical Journal, July/August, 1979
Musician, August, 1986
New York Times, May 19, 1985 October 16, 1985
People Weekly, February 21, 1983
Rolling Stone, April 14, 1983 March 28, 1985
Stereo Review, March, 1984 March, 1986 September, 1986
USA Today, February 26, 1986
Variety, October 21, 1981

Electronic

Jan Hammer Web Site, http://www. anhammer.com, October 21, 2001

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