JAN HAMMER
DRIVE

Miramar/BMG

You can usually expect some- thing pretty hip and spectacular when Seattle-based Miramar releases an album (or a video, and this is no exception. If you are a fan of fusion (that hot, soulful combination of rock and jazz sounds) you will really like Drive. This is Jan Hammer's first solo, non-soundtrack album for- Miramar, but not his first collaboration with the company. Jan is the composer of the soundtrack to Beyond the Mind’s Eye, the multi-platinum, computer-animated video-album. Jan is also the composer of the “Miami Vice” theme and soundtrack which earned him two Grammys and two Emmys. In addition, his 12 solo albums have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. Clearly, this is one man who knows what people like.

  It's really hard to describe Drive in a few concise sentences because there is so much diversity here. The title cut is funky and rappish, while another cut, "Island Dreamer," is a swaying, breezy, techno-trip to paradise. "Up Or Down" begins quiet and thoughtfully, almost a hymn, then progresses to become an assertive statement of confidence and cool. Though each cut is a bit different in feel and tone, we get the sense that Jan has crafted each of these cuts as carefully as a diamond cutter plans to polish a gem. The result is a CD which is bright, upbeat, and grooving. When you put Drive in, be prepared to sit down and hold on!
 

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