Pianist, composer, producer, Dennis Hamm began playing professionally at age 18 and has since worked with a diverse mix of artists. Currently he can be seen on world tours performing with Thundercat (Stephen Bruner) and Alice Smith. Recent past tours and performances include Knower, Flying Lotus (Captain Murphy), Allan Holdsworth, Larry Carlton, Jonathan Butler, Virgil Donati, Chris Cornell, Babyface, Ryan Leslie, John Densmore (The Doors), Bilal, and Judith Hill (Michael Jackson).
The albums Hamm appears on are also a testament to his versatility. He has composition and performance credits on Thundercat's last two albums including the opening and closing tracks of the album "Drunk" and the title track of "Where The Giants Roam." In recent years Hamm was featured on albums as varied as India Arie's "Songversation", MTV's Rock the Cradle winner Crosby Loggins' (son of Kenny Loggins) "We All Go Home", the Prog-Rock/Jazz Fusion albums of Toto drummer Simon Phillips' "Protocol IV", Virgil Donati's "In This Life" and guitarist Greg Howe's "Sound Proof", Katisse Buckingham's genre bending mix of hip-hop and modern jazz albums "Lyrical Worker" and "A World To The Wise", and a modern country release by American Idol finalist Amy Adams, which Hamm also produced.
Other artists he has performed or recorded with are Kenny Loggins, Pete Escovedo, Will Kennedy & Jimmy Haslip (The Yellowjackets), Walter Smith III, Jojo Mayer, Ronald Bruner Jr., Cliff Almond, Frank Gambale, Hadrien Feraud, Jimmy Johnson, Janek Gwizdala, Bob Reynolds, Marcus Belgrave, Tony Macalpine, Mike Miller, Thomas Pridgen, Sheila E, Justo Almario, Tony Royster Jr., Melvin Davis, Jimmy Branly, Brian Bromberg, Renee Olstead, Carlitos del Puerto, Sandro Albert, Buck Owens' "Buckaroos", Monty Byrom, The Smokin' Armadillos, and his own original projects including funk/jazz group Mother Funk Conspiracy featuring L.A. saxophonist Zane Musa.
Hamm began playing the piano at age four and by college he had developed a passion for jazz and Latin music. He attended Citrus College in Glendora and California State University Bakersfield where he studied piano and composition under Dr. Doug Davis. He was twice a member of the best combo and twice won the top pianist award at the largest west coast college jazz festival, Pacific Coast Collegiate Jazz Festival at UC Berkeley.
