To pop music fans, keyboardist Jan Hammer is best known for his work on the soundtrack of the stylish '80s cop series Miami Vice. But Hammer also achieved considerable success in the jazz fusion world, both on his own and as a charter member of John McLaughlin 's legendary Mahavishnu Orchestra . Though jazz purists often decry major portions of his solo work, Hammer has undeniably left his mark, both musically and commercially.

A native of Prague, in what was then Czechoslovakia, Hammer was born into a musical family (on April 17, 1948) and began studying piano at age four. By age 14, he was working with a touring and recording jazz ensemble that also included future Weather Report member Miroslav Vitous . Hammer studied theory and composition at the Prague Academy of Muse Arts, but when the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968, he emigrated to the U.S. After attending the Berklee School of Music, he landed a year-long touring engagement with Sarah Vaughan as both keyboardist and conductor. In 1970, Hammer settled in Manhattan and recorded as a sideman with Elvin Jones and Jeremy Steig . The following year, he joined the Mahavishnu Orchestra, appearing on landmark fusion albums like The Inner Mounting Flame and Birds of Fire . After the group disbanded at the end of 1973, Hammer reunited with Mahavishnu violinist Jerry Goodman for the album Like Children (1974). Hammer's official solo debut came with 1975's The First Seven Days, and he assembled a backing unit called the Jan Hammer Group for the supporting tour. The Hammer Group recorded prolifically over the next two years, including collaborations with guitarist Jeff Beck , and their brand of fusion shifted towards R&B-styled grooves. After 1978's Melodies , Hammer disbanded the group and recorded a true solo album, Black Sheep , playing all the instruments himself. In short order, though, he formed another backing band, this one called simply Hammer.