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Dick Heath View Drop Down
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Points: 12798 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Essential Jan Hammer: session player
    Posted: July 26 2008 at 12:55
Having just bought the remastered Steve Grossman: The Bible, and been wowed on hearing Hammer's  superb playing, I'm looking for recommendations to other albums I've missed with Jan Hammer guesting or employed as session player (apart from the obvious MO, Al DiMeola  and Jeff Beck albums). The following are the ones I have:
John Abercrombie: Timeless and Night
Horace Arnold: The Exonerated Flea
Charlie Mariano: Helen 12 Trees
Elvin Jones: On The Mountain
Tony Williams: The Joy Of Flying
Stanley Clarke: Stanley Clarke



Edited by Dick Heath - July 29 2008 at 07:49
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Points: 29625 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 28 2008 at 10:24
Jeeze, once you rule out the MO, JB, ADs, and what you just mentioned, what's left?
His early solo albums don't fall within your criteria.
Jerry Goodman/Jan Hammer Like Children was a duo project...
I'll get back with you if anything should pop into my mind though. Big%20smile


Edited by Slartibartfast - July 30 2008 at 22:11
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Points: 12798 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 28 2008 at 10:57
Originally posted by Slartibartfast Slartibartfast wrote:

Jeeze, once you rule out the MO, JB, ADs, and what you just mentioned, what's left?
 
I don't want to be told about the obvious albums which I have so hence the embargo!!!Wink Check out the discography I pulled together  for Hammer's entry for PA, and it those 70's session albums, I 'm curious to know:
a) are they any good
b) have they been released on CD.
 
 
I've only spotted the Steve Grossman The Bible in the last fortnight and found it to be excellent (and guitar free). So for instance is that third John Abercrombie collabroative album available on CD?

His early solo albums don't fall within your criteria.
 
I could be curious. 

Jerry Goodman/Jan Hammer Like Children was a duo project...
 
Nope.
I'll get back with you if anything should pop into my mind though. Big%20smile
 
Forget the Schonn  and Young albums as well - apart from having Colin Hodkinson do what his does well - ie. play the Fender Jazz bass (why is Hodgkinson emplpoyed as vocalist only on Black Sheep?????Confused)
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Points: 121 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 30 2008 at 16:54

But why did he bother releasing Black Sheep or Hammer at all ? Contractual obligation ?

Admittedly, Between The Sheets Of Music, and Manic Depressive are good but the rest is a pale shadow of what was capable of.

 
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Points: 29625 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 30 2008 at 21:25
Originally posted by mr70s mr70s wrote:

But why did he bother releasing Black Sheep or Hammer at all ? Contractual obligation ?

Admittedly, Between The Sheets Of Music, and Manic Depressive are good but the rest is a pale shadow of what was capable of.

 



He started out solidly prog in his early solo efforts but then succumbed to commercialitis. 

Hey, Dick, do the David Earle Johnson albums, Time Is Free and Hip Address, qualify? Big%20smile


 
Just pulled them out and they are duo albums.
 
I pulled something out of my LP collection you might be interested in.  I thought Jan might be on it but he wasn't:
Route Two with David Earle Johnson, John Abercrombie, Dan Wall, et. al.
 
Just reviewed your Jan Hammer discography and here are my quick takes on what I do have:
JAN HAMMER & JERRY GOODMAN: ‘Like Children’* (Nemperor /Atlantic 1974, Nemperor/Sony ?)
I have the LP it's now out on CD (this is true for eveything that follows), Wounded Bird Records, they tried a more commercial approach, but there's enough there to make it an essential prog album.
JAN HAMMER: ‘The First Seven Days’* (Nemperor / Sony 1975)
State of the art/bleeding edge synthesizer music, essential to fans of the keyboard dominated music of the era and hey, it's a concept album.
JAN HAMMER GROUP: ‘Oh Yeah!’** (Nemperor / Sony 1976)
Jan gets fairly funky, jazz/rock/funk fusion at it's fineist.
JAN HAMMER GROUP & JEFF BECK: ‘Live’* (Epic 1977)
Wow how the hell did these two get together?  An excellent though brief merger.
JAN HAMMER GROUP: ‘Melodies’* (Nemperor / Sony/Wounded Bird 1977)
Some good bits but commercialitis is starting to rear it's ugly head.
JAN HAMMER, DAVID EARLE JOHNSON: ‘Time Is Free’ (Vanguard 1977)
Solidly prog.
HAMMER: ‘Black Sheep’* (Elektra / Asylum 1978)
HAMMER: ‘Hammer’ (Elektra / Asylum 1979)
Bought the former in LP format (used promo copy) Didn't hear the latter until I decided to get JAN HAMMER: ‘Black Sheep/Hammer’ (remastered) (Wounded Bird Records 2005).  These have some interesting tracks still, the most pleasant surprise on the second one was Highway Made of Glass, which sounds like a proto Porcupine Tree piece.
JAN HAMMER, DAVID EARLE JOHNSON: ‘Hip Address’* (CMP/One Way 1980)
Probably his last good prog album before commercialitis severly took over, but hey, I won't knock him for his Miami Vice soundtrack success.  Might have brought some fans into the prog fold,,,


Edited by Slartibartfast - August 01 2008 at 21:29
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Points: 14693 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 01 2008 at 03:48
Guys, guys - criminal ommission of the following album:



I think his moog work on this one (especially the track 'Stratus') is every bit as good as anything he produced with MO


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Points: 121 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 01 2008 at 06:30
Here's an obscurity : Niemen -  Mourner's Rhapsody with Jan Hammer and Rick Laird from 1974.
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Points: 12798 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 01 2008 at 06:46
Originally posted by Jim Garten Jim Garten wrote:

Guys, guys - criminal omission of the following album:



I think his moog work on this one (especially the track 'Stratus') is every bit as good as anything he produced with MO

 
Severe slap on the wrists for that omission - thanks for the reminder.
 
To Slarti - the Dave Earle Johnson collaborations seem to me to be most valid (remembering Johnson is found on Hammer's first couple of Nemperor releases). Found one issued on CD  by Vanguard - is the other one available? As indicated above wondering if the live recording by John Abercrombie has made it to CD?
 
 


Edited by Dick Heath - August 01 2008 at 07:14
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Points: 121 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 01 2008 at 12:31
2 albums with Jeremy Steig in the early '70s  - Energy, and Fusion. 
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Points: 121 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 01 2008 at 13:18
Haven't heard them so can't make any recommendations, but here are credits
John Abercrombie                                                                      Works
The Freelance Hellraiser                                                          Waiting for clearance
Tommy Bolin                                                                               Teaser
Roy Buchanan                                                                             Loading Zone
Fania All Stars                                                                             Latin Soul Rock
Frank Foster                                                                                 Loud Minority
David Earle Johnson, Jan Hammer, John Abercrombie    Midweek Blues
Elvin Jones                                                                                   Merry Go Round
                                                                                                        Mr Jones
                                                                                                        Prime Element
                                                                                                        At This Point In Time
                                                                                                   
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Points: 29625 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 01 2008 at 13:23
Originally posted by Dick Heath Dick Heath wrote:

 
To Slarti - the Dave Earle Johnson collaborations seem to me to be most valid (remembering Johnson is found on Hammer's first couple of Nemperor releases). Found one issued on CD  by Vanguard - is the other one available? As indicated above wondering if the live recording by John Abercrombie has made it to CD?
 
 

Time Is Free is readily available, I've got the Vanguard reissue.  Hip Address was out on One Way Records, I think, may be out of print.  I saw some new and used Hip Addresses on Amanzon.com from various sources at reasonable prices. Big%20smile

Route Two has not made it to CD according to Discogs.  I need to make a copy of my LP on CD and scan in the cover to make my own booklet.  That usually seems to cause stuff to be officially released on CD. LOL


Edited by Slartibartfast - August 01 2008 at 21:34
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Points: 121 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 01 2008 at 13:23
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Points: 121 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 01 2008 at 17:04
A celebrated case of sampling involved David Earl Johnson who allowed computer-keyboardist Jan Hammer to sample his drum sounds on rare, eighty-year-old Nigerian conga drums. Later, after Johnson recognized his drum sounds running through the entire Miami Vice soundtrack, he sought payment for what he perceived to be his contribution to the composition. He was told by Hammer's manager that he wanted "money for doing nothing" and the American Federation of Musicians refused to take his case.
 
Like Picasso said  "A good artist copies, a great one steals"
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Points: 7659 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 01 2008 at 17:18
Hello Dick, I enjoyed the cooperation between Jan Hammer (flashy Minimoog flights) and Neal Schon (biting wah-wah drenched solos) on the a bit unbalanced album Untold Passion (a blend of great instrumentals and mediocre poprock songs).
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Points: 29625 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 01 2008 at 21:33
Originally posted by Jim Garten Jim Garten wrote:

Guys, guys - criminal ommission of the following album:



I think his moog work on this one (especially the track 'Stratus') is every bit as good as anything he produced with MO


I've got that one, it's verry nice.  Guess we're both going to prog jail. LOL

Originally posted by mr70s mr70s wrote:

A celebrated case of sampling involved David Earl Johnson who allowed computer-keyboardist Jan Hammer to sample his drum sounds on rare, eighty-year-old Nigerian conga drums. Later, after Johnson recognized his drum sounds running through the entire Miami Vice soundtrack, he sought payment for what he perceived to be his contribution to the composition. He was told by Hammer's manager that he wanted "money for doing nothing" and the American Federation of Musicians refused to take his case.
 
Like Picasso said  "A good artist copies, a great one steals"

I hadn't read anything about that.  Hard to believe considering how many albums they were on together. Two duet albums for crying out loud.  Quite possibly managerial misbehavior, but I'd be rather disappointed in Jan if he were behind that.


Edited by Slartibartfast - August 01 2008 at 21:41
Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Points: 10964 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 05 2008 at 22:34
i only know of what you mentioned, and some i didnt know he was on. He seems to be rare to find since he moved away from serious music. Very underrated, and i wish he did more instead of that Miami Vice Bull-oney
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Points: 12798 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 06 2008 at 11:55
Originally posted by darkshade darkshade wrote:

i only know of what you mentioned, and some i didnt know he was on. He seems to be rare to find since he moved away from serious music. Very underrated, and i wish he did more instead of that Miami Vice Bull-oney



He does -toured the UK with Jeff Beck,2 or 3 years ago but only boots exist. Got a life time award from Moog in 2005 - on the associated  DVD too jamming with Gregg Bendian and members of Mahavishnu Project covering Oh Yeah? tunes.
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Points: 3659 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 09 2008 at 08:36
He played on Tommy Bolin's Teaser album which is excellent. However he only appeared on 2 tracks I beleive.
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Points: 12798 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 09 2008 at 13:00
Originally posted by Nightfly Nightfly wrote:

He played on Tommy Bolin's Teaser album which is excellent. However he only appeared on 2 tracks I believe.


Only on one track ( but the liner notes  are in very very small print ) of Harvey Mason's Earth Mover (just found this one down) - and even though a Hammer composition it becomes a Mason drum solo! Then there is that oddball on a Steve Clarke' Network album, which is essentially dead thrash jazz fusion, with one track  containing an out of context Hammer solo!!
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Points: 10964 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 14 2008 at 05:31
How is that Harvey Mason album? and other ones?
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