KEYS WEEK 2023: Jan Hammer might well be known to many as the film and TV score writer – and, yes, his score to Miami Vice is certainly a standout work – but he should also be credited with so much more when it comes to the history of keyboard playing and performance.
Hammer defined how the synthesizer became a lead instrument in jazz-rock, rock, funk and other styles of music. He single-handedly defined the technique and vocabulary of pitch-bending, and as a performer, he stood toe-to-toe with many of the greatest guitar players of our age. And, yes, he's a pretty successful score composer too!
