Jan formed a jazz trio in high school, performing and recording throughout Eastern Europe from age fourteen. Upon entering the Prague Academy of Muse Arts, he immersed himself in classes in harmony, counterpoint, music history, and classical composition. On the heels of Russia's invasion of his homeland in 1968, Jan came to America. He had received a scholarship to the Berklee School of Music in Boston and resolved to become a United States citizen.

He spent a year as keyboardist/conductor with Sarah Vaughan (touring North America and Japan). Moving to a loft in the artistic haven of lower Manhattan, he was heard on albums by Elvin Jones and Jeremy Steig in 1970. A year later Jan joined the original lineup of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, with guitarist John McLaughlin, violinist Jerry Goodman, bassist Rick Laird, and drummer Billy Cobham. Their two year/three album association set the standard for rock and jazz fusion which still exists today. In turn, they were the most successful group ever to record and tour in the genre, selling over 2 million records worldwide, and performing some 530 shows before their farewell concert of December 30, 1973.

After recording one album with Goodman the following year, Jan's solo career began in earnest with 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 and supported the album on tour, receiving ecstatic reviews from both jazz and rock critics. The group was prolific beyond all expectations, turning out no less than three LPs the following year: their own Oh, Yeah? and, with master guitarist Jeff Beck, the RIAA platinum Wired (with Jan's classic "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.

Jan returned to his solo work with Black Sheep (1978, on which he played every instrument). He then formed a new band, known as Hammer. Also in 1978, Jan wrote and performed on three songs for Jeff Beck's next album, There And Back (released in 1980). One of these tracks, "Star Cycle," went on to become the theme for the popular British television series The Tube.

The '80s arrived with concurrent (though highly contrasting) projects with two of today's most respected guitarists. With Al Di Meola, Jan recorded Electric Rendezvous (1982); then joined Al for a tour chronicled the same year on Tour de Force Live; and finally appeared throughout Scenario, utilizing his then new Fairlight CMI digital synthesizer and contributing 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 (1981) and Here To Stay (1982). The latter's opening cut, "No More Lies" (which they co-wrote with Glen Burtnick) was the subject of a promo video that became an MTV staple in its first year of broadcast - a hint of things to come for Jan Hammer?

Despite his active schedule, Jan 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, Jan's various talents were employed on recordings diverse as James Young's (Styx) first solo album, City Slicker (which Jan 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 the song "Escape," written by Jan, winner of the 1985 Grammy for "Best Rock Instrumental Performance."

His 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 Jan's greatest challenge came in the fall '84, when the producers of Miami Vice enlisted him to commence the rigorous weekly schedule of scoring the series. 

The popular success of his music 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.  Henry Mancini's Music From Peter Gunn, 26 years earlier, had been the last television soundtrack to do so.  The following week "Miami Vice Theme" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart and, in so doing, became the first and only original version of an instrumental theme for television to reach this pinnacle of success.  Internationally, "Miami Vice Theme" went on to become a top 5 hit around the world. This success was underscored in October, when the Miami Vice Soundtrack, containing the hit and four other instrumentals by Jan, took over the number one position on the Billboard Top Pop Album chart for 12 weeks.  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 Jan two awards, for "Best Pop Instrumental Performance" and "Best Instrumental Composition." Jan also earned Emmy award nominations in 1985 and 1986, for "Outstanding Achievement in Musical Composition." At the end of 1986, Jan 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.

1987: In the spring, "Crockett's Theme" was released In Europe as a single from the Miami Vice II album. The single spent three months in the top 5 in Germany, Holland, Austria, Switzerland, and Belgium. Its success thrust Miami Vice II to the number one position as well.

Escape From Television, Jan's next LP, contained ten (out of twelve) tracks drawn from scoring his first 69 episodes of Miami Vice over its first three seasons. The album included "Crockett's Theme," subsequently released as a single in England that fall, where it went to #2 and was certified silver. (Four years later, "Crockett's Theme" would be reissued in the U.K. in a new vocal version, and become a hit all over again). Also included were "Tubbs and Valerie" and "Forever Tonight," both of which reached the top 40 in various other European countries.

Escape From Television was an enormous breakthrough, selling one million copies worldwide. It was certified gold in Germany and the U.K., and provided the backdrop for November's prestigious Diamond Awards ceremonies in Belgium. This pan-European event honored (among others) Bryan Ferry, Boy George, and Jan Hammer, who was the only instrumental artist to receive the award -- a solid gold record studded with diamond chips.

1988: Jan bows out of full-time musical chores for Miami Vice at this point, having done the music for the crucial first six and last three episodes of the '87-'88 season. He was now free to concentrate his efforts on the construction of the new Red Gate Studio on his property in upstate New York. Work on the magnificent countryside recording facility was rarely interrupted. One exception was the pre-Grammy night bash at the Palladium in Manhattan that February, where an impromptu jam with Herbie Hancock attracted Stevie Ray Vaughan, Lenny White, and Dweezil Zappa to the bandstand.

The studio took six months to complete, and stands now as a state-of-the-art complex. The first project to spring from the new Red Gate was Jan's original soundtrack for Clinton and Nadine (HBO Films) which premiered in May. (The same feature went into theatrical distribution in Europe in the spring '89, re-titled Blood Money.) Jan composed and performed the entire score for the movie, which starred Ellen Barkin, Andy Garcia and Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman.

In August Jan was enlisted on keyboards for A Tribute To Les Paul, a television special for Cinemax Sessions. Jan rocked head-on at this all-star jam, taped at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, which also included David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, Eddie Van Halen, Brian Setzer, BB King, Steve Miller and others.

Jan's next two assignments contributed significantly to his next album as well. First, at the end of the summer, Jan 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, Jan 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. 

1989: Snapshots was the first full album from the new Red Gate studio, and it was classic Jan Hammer at his best, every track composed, performed and produced by the artist. Not only did it boast the two familiar themes -- "The Runner" and "Eurocops" -- but it also contained the instrumental pop-rock anthem, "Too Much To Lose," the first European single (which featured Jeff Beck, David Gilmour, and Ringo Starr in the promo video). Snapshots lived up to the stylish grace associated with the finest of Jan's work for movies, television, and the radio waves. He created evocative moods with the ease of a master, tone-poems that conjure up visions of dramatic landscapes and mindscapes. 

1990: Work centered on scoring two new feature films, I Come In Peace (with Dolph Lundgren) and Curiosity Kills (with Rae Dawn Chong and C. Thomas Howell). Just as significantly, Jan scored all twenty episodes of the highly-acclaimed British tv series, Chancer (starring future Academy Award nominee Clive Owen); and several episodes of HBO's Tales From the Crypt.

1991: Jan created the music for a thought-provoking new television spot for Amnesty International, featuring Czech president Vaclav Havel, which was aired in many different languages around the world. Jan also scored two new pilots for NBC television: Night Rider 2000 (starring David Hasselhoff) and a half-hour sitcom, News At 12. 

In the U.K., "Theme from Chancer" was issued as a new single on MCA, coinciding with the opening of the second season of that series in April. Meanwhile, a decision was made to couple the side with a hot new remixed vocal version of "Crockett's Theme," the #1 hit of four years earlier. The track was an immediate sensation all over again throughout the United Kingdom.

Back home, Jan completed the score for The Taking Of Beverly Hills (Columbia Pictures), Ken Wahl's first post Wiseguy vehicle. Then came Jan's first road trip in years, as the 'Jan Hammer-Tony Williams Group' played a limited number of sold-out headlining, concert and festival dates that summer.

1992: The new year started with a bang, literally, as the Superbowl XXVI Extravaganza in Minneapolis premiered Jan's musical score of "A Day In the NFL," an action-packed collage of 'greatest hits' (!). But Jan was already at work on his next project, composing and performing the original soundtrack for Sunset Heat (New Line Cinema) with Dennis Hopper, Michael Pare and Adam Ant. 

With that assignment finished, Jan turned his attention to his next project: a giant step forward into the world of computer animation as the composer and performer of the original score for the Miramar Productions video album, BEYOND The Mind's Eye, released in October on Miramar/BMG Video.

Scored note-to-frame with visuals that broke the 'virtual reality' barrier (as discovered by millions of fans in movies like TRON and Lawnmower Man), the video was a psychedelic trip into the sensual and the surreal -- areas of exploration that were tailor-made for Jan's unique talent. In BEYOND The Mind's Eye, Jan's imaginative forays into new musical frontiers framed futuristic vignettes of science fantasy, romance, and breathtaking flight. (It is noted that the CD/ cassette of BEYOND The Mind's Eye is different from the video, that Jan put the emphasis on the listener's, rather than the viewer's, sensory experience.)

1993: Critical reaction to BEYOND The Mind's Eye was overwhelming from both sides of the screen. "One day, computers will be able to create entire movies," observed Roger Ebert (on "Siskel Ebert At the Movies") of the video's potential. "The visual possibilities are breathtaking," he said, naming it his "video recommendation of the week. Leonard Maltin echoed these thoughts: "A dazzling showcase for computer animation," he raved on his syndicated CBS Radio program, "mesmerizing... 'BEYOND The Mind's Eye' reflects a maturing of the [computer animation] art."

The press was equally enthusiastic: Billboard termed it one of Jan's "most ambitious projects to date, the soundtrack for a computer-animated, virtual reality video extravaganza... [his] instrumental compositions stand on their own melodic feet." Similarly, "If you want to see the future of animation," wrote Richard Harrington in the Washington Post, "this is it... "The colors are spectacular, the detail astounding, the effect mesmerizing."

Jan did his share to promote the video, including a July appearance with the Tonight Show band led by Branford Marsalis. In an unusual strategy to expose BEYOND The Mind's Eye, the video was actually "toured" as a concert event at more than 100 college campuses across the country, with local radio enlisted to promote the screenings. In honor of the Berklee Performance Center showing, the school declared "Jan Hammer Day," with proceeds of the ticket sales going to establish a scholarship in Jan Hammer's name at his alma mater.

1994: In February, BEYOND The Mind's Eye hit 65 weeks on Billboard's Top Music Videos chart, holding strong inside the top 15. It had been one of 1993’s top five best-selling music videos, according to Billboard's Top Music Videos chart, and would go on to spend 112 consecutive weeks on the chart (through March 1995), and earn triple-platinum certification.

The year was dominated by Jan’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 supercharged collaborations of the past; while the title track blended Beck’s flamenco style with Jan’s keyboard funk. Michael Brecker’s tenor sax was heard on the smooth, jazzy "Peaceful Sundown" and on the edgy cybertech R&B of "Curiosity Kills."

1995: As the new year arrived, Jan returned to his scoring and soundtrack work with renewed creativity and passion, beginning with the one hour Universal drama Vanishing Son (starring Russell Wong of Joy Luck Club); Jan went on to compose the theme and score for 13 episodes of the series. Following that he composed and performed the original music for two feature films, both released in 1996; A Modern Affair (with Stanley Tucci, Lisa Eichorn, Caroline Aaron and Tammy Grimes) and In the Kingdom Of the Blind the Man With One Eye Is King (starring Will Petersen and Paul Winfield). Jan wrapped up the year scoring Beastmaster III - The Eye of Braxus, the long-awaited sequel to the sword-and-sorcery favorite (starring Mark Singer and Lesley-Anne Down).

1996: Jan’s output continues to thrive. His scoring assignments included the NBC Movie of the Week, The Babysitter’s Seduction (with Phylicia Rashad, Stephen Collins and newcomer Keri ‘Felicity’ Russell) and The Secret Agent Club, a feature film (starring Hulk Hogan, Richard Moll, Barry Bostwick and Lesley-Anne Down).

Also in 1996 (and through 2000) Jan was commissioned to compose all of the original music for TV Nova, the first commercial network in Eastern Europe, based in the Czech Republic. Jan composed everything – including themes for 23 original shows produced by the network, no less than 50 separate station ID’s, the music for all of the networks special broadcasts, plus the music for all the news, sports and weather programs.

1997: In-between Jan’s work for TV Nova he composed and performed the hard-driving rock soundtrack for the CD-ROM game, Outlaw Racers (MegaMedia). His next project was the theme and original score for the pilot and the series of Prince Street (NBC-TV) starring Vincent Spano and Mariska Hargitay. On another interesting note, 1997 saw six separate compilation CDs released in the U.S. containing compositions and performances by Jan. One of these, Pure Moods (Virgin) spent 49 weeks on the Billboard top album charts and sold nearly four million copies worldwide, a true phenomenon for such collections.

1998: Jan continued with his prolific work for TV Nova, commenced work on a new computer game and took some needed time off with his family.

1999:  While continuing to work for TV Nova, Jan started off the year writing, performing and producing a tune, “Even Odds” for Jeff Beck’s album, Who Else? (Epic).  In the spring, Jan’s 1977 album Melodies was digitally remastered and released for the first time on CD.  Also, 1999 saw the release of The Lost Trident Sessions, the third (and last) studio album by Jan’s former group, the Mahavishnu Orchestra.  This album was recorded in 1973 just before the band’s highly publicized breakup. Its release was temporarily put on hold but the masters were misplaced and just found in December of 1998 (25 years later). The album is considered the “Holy Grail” of fusion music.  This is when Jan, along with John McLaughlin, Billy Cobham, Jerry Goodman and Rick Laird were truly pushing the envelope.  The album has met with worldwide critical and commercial success.  Among its tunes is Jan’s classic “Sister Andrea”.

2000:  Just when Jan thought his chores for TV Nova were winding down, the station changed ownership.  The new management team wanted to establish their own identity vis-à-vis the station logo, IDs, promos, etc., so they called upon Jan to compose new music to compliment the new visuals.  They then went on an aggressive campaign to create new programs.  The themes to all of these shows were composed and performed by Jan.

Also in 2000, after months of preparation, Jan’s official web site (www.janhammer.com) was officially opened.

In the fall Jan released Snapshots 1.2 on One Way Records.  The CD, a special reissue of his 1989 album Snapshots which was never released in North America, was digitally remastered by Jan and featured all new artwork and two original bonus tracks.

 2001:  In January reruns of Miami Vice began airing on TNN.  Traffic to Jan’s web site, which was already receiving in excess of 25,000 hits per week, grew to nearly 40,000 hits weekly.  Immediately, Jan noticed a renewed interest in the landmark soundtrack he had created 15 years earlier.  Many of the site’s visitors, new and old, began to ask about the possibility of releasing much of the previously unreleased material.  Said Hammer, “Fans would make reference to themes that I had forgotten about after all these years, so I went back, watched the shows for myself, and realized how much music there was that cried out to be released.”  Jan sat down and began to record the previously unreleased compositions, which would form the second disc of his forthcoming Miami Vice: The Complete Collection.  In order to maintain continuity with the show’s original sound, Hammer utilized his vintage 1980s equipment, along with more current state of art digital gear.

2002: Miami Vice: The Complete Collection was released and included both previously and never-before released tracks.  The first of the set’s two CDs contained all 20 of Hammer’s compositions previously featured on five separate MCA releases: the soundtracks Miami Vice, Miami Vice II, Miami Vice III, and Jan Hammer’s Escape from Television and Snapshots.  The second CD featured 22 tracks never released or heard anywhere but on the television show.  Although Jan did not tour in support of the album, he did countless interviews including filmed segments for English, Dutch, German and American television stations.

In the fall and through the end of the year, Jan commenced work on Red Cap, a six-hour mini series produced and broadcast by the BBC.  The popular series features Tamzin Outhwaite, the star of the long running British series EastEnders.

2003:  In light of the continued demand for Jan’s earlier body of work, Sony Records, who owns the rights to Jan’s early catalogue, gave the green light to release Jan’s 1975 debut American solo album The First Seven Days.  Jan, along with producer Bob Belden, went into Sony’s New York Studios and digitally remastered the entire album.  Jan was elated that after 25+ years he was finally able to hear his work as it was meant to be heard. This marks the first time the classic album will be released on CD and the expanded package will feature a 12 page booklet, extensive liner notes and never before seen photos from the era. The First Seven Days was released on the Columbia/Legacy imprint in July of 2003.

Jan’s music, including special mixes “Miami Vice Theme” and “Crockett’s Theme”, was used throughout the entire taping of the 2nd Annual American Music Awards, which was held March 18, 2003, in Miami Beach, Florida.  The special was broadcast throughout the UK, Europe, India, China, Southeast Asia and Australia.

2004: The new year brought with it the exciting news that Jan Hammer and Jeff Beck would be reuniting live for the first time in nearly 18 years. Despite many continued studio collaborations over the years, most fans have never forgotten the live magic and indisputable Beck/Hammer chemistry of those early days.  To the delight of fans, when Jan and his long time friend & musical collaborator joined forces again for a UK summer tour, including two memorable nights at the famed Royal Albert Hall in London, it was magic all over again.

Still in 2004, Jan produced a debut solo album for his son Paul Hammer who, like his father, is a talented multi-instrumentalist.  Entitled “19”, and recorded during his sophomore year at NYU, Paul wrote and performed the entire album, including all instruments and vocals.  He followed up by touring the Eastern U.S. as well as England.

In the fall of 2004 Jan released the album The Best Of Miami Vice on the Reality label in the U.S.  An exclusive release through the Transworld Record chain, the album is sold at FYE, Strawberry, Coconuts & Specs stores, and through special arrangement at Jan’s own online Gift Shop.  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.

Also in the fall of 2004 Jan scored Cocaine Cowboys, billed as “the true story of how Miami became the drug, murder and cash capital of the United States, told by the people who made it all happen”.  The hard-hitting, feature documentary showed how, in the 1980s, ruthless Colombian cocaine barons invaded Miami with a brand of violence unseen in the U.S. since Prohibition-era Chicago.

2005: 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 with Jan and archival footage of him 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.  After 20 years, not many would have expected it to do well but, much to everyone’s surprise, the single was a hit (again). For each of its first 4 weeks in release, “Crockett’s Theme” was among the top 3 most added tracks on AC radio and, in week five, it made its debut on the AC Top 40 Radio charts at #32 - the highest debut that week.  By its 11th week of release it climbed into the top 15 where it eventually peaked at #13.

On June 1, 2005, long awaited by Jan Hammer fans throughout the world, 1978's Black Sheep and 1979's Hammer were released as a two CD set on Wounded Bird Records. The two classic albums, recorded for Elektra/Asylum Records, have received a constant stream of requests for their release through Jan’s official web site and the new package brings together both albums, completely remastered by Jan Hammer, as well as a special bonus track.
 

 Jan Hammer has earned his place as a formidable voice in the arena where modern music meets the state-of-the-visual-arts.  From the neo-psychedelic heyday of the Mahavishnu Orchestra in the 1970s, to the heady break-throughs of Miami Vice in the 1980s, to his post-modern forays into film and television in the 1990s and the new millenium, he has consistently proven his worth as a front-line musical warrior.  As he is inspired to reach further into his treasury of ideas, the world of music and the visual arts is always the richer.

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(July 2005)