The First Seven Days - Jan Hammer

Mar

29

The First Seven Days - Jan Hammer

≡ Category: 1970s, Essential, Fusion, Music Reviews, World Fusion |
≅ Written by: Michael Kydonieus

JAZZBO NOTES ESSENTIAL RECORDING

Rating:

It’s too easy to say that the First Seven Days is a forerunner of New Age music. Jan Hammer’s depiction of events which may or may not be biblical in nature has little in common with the weak kneed noodling of poseurs like George Winston and his ilk. Hammer’s compositions are as rigorous and razor sharp as his improvisations on piano and various synthesizers and sundry keyboards, and that goes for the violin musings of Mahavishnu Orchestra’s Steve Kindler as well (Kindler played with the Mahavishnu Orchestra after Hammer left).

It’s hard to say exactly what kind of music this is. It has European classical foundations but plenty of improvisation. It also has some pop and progressive rock elements, which has probably led to the lazy conclusion on the part of some critics that The First Seven Days is actually New Age music. (It also might have something to do with the fact that Steve Kindler actually DOES play New Age music these days.)

Jan Hammer himself probably has the best take on it: “Those days, you could do anything, a no-limits approach to record-making was encouraged and it was wonderful. I wanted to take that as far as I could, that’s why there is such a variety between the electric stuff and the almost chamber music piano and violin sonata kind of feel–and everything in between, African drums, world beats.”

Whatever kind of music is contained on The First Seven Days, it is rapturous. Synthesizers and digital sequencers were very primitive in those days, and every sound that you got had to be painstakingly worked out, involving moving around dozens of patch cords and adjusting oscillators and so on. That makes Hammer’s sonic achievement that much more impressive. He integrates electric and acoustic instruments in various combinations to create a vast sonic palette to work from.

The moods range from mysterioso on Darkness/Earth in Search of a Sun to bucolic on Fourth Day - Plants and Trees to intensely soul searching on Sixth Day - People to pure joy on The Seventh Day.

This is one recording that rewards listening to it straight through. Although each piece stands perfectly well on its own, the elements of this lyric suite, when strung together, take you on a powerfully emotional mythic journey from a distant past to a glorious, psychedelic present.