Jan Hammer

A keyboard titan, Jan Hammer is best known for his work scoring the stylish '80s cop series Miami Vice, as well as for being a charter member of John McLaughlin's legendary fusion group Mahavishnu Orchestra. A classically trained performer, Hammer first emerged in the 1970s appearing with Mahavishnu before issuing his own synth-based albums like 1975's The First Seven Days and 1979's rock-oriented Black Sheep. He has also collaborated with a bevy of name performers including Jeff Beck, Al Di Meola, Neal Schon, and many more. Following his break-out success with the sleek Miami Vice soundtrack, which earned him two Grammy Awards, he moved further into varied soundtrack work, including issuing 1992's computer-generated video project Beyond the Mind's Eye. Though primarily focused on studio work for others, he occasionally returns to his own studio projects such as Seasons, Pt. 1 (2018) and Pt. 2 (2022).