Yamaha Drum Artists Appear at Prestigious Event

PURCHASE, N.Y. — Ndugu Chancler and Dafnis Prieto joined a distinguished lineup of top drumming talent at the Modern Drummer Festival 2008, produced by Modern Drummer magazine.

Chancler, the beat behind Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean," has also played with Santana, Herbie Hancock and Miles Davis. He performed a melodic solo on his new PHX kit, which arrived at the show directly from the factory, and addressed the audience to offer advice without missing a beat.

The trail-blazing Prieto appeared with his sextet and gave a tour de force performance on his Maple Custom kit. Born in Cuba, Prieto moved to New York and began playing with jazz artists Eddie Palmieri, Henry Threadgill and Michel Camilo.

Produced since 1987 and held for the first time at the Purchase College Performing Arts Center in Purchase, N.Y., the two-day festival presented a roster of today's top drumming talents, representing a variety of popular musical styles.

Ndugu Chancler appearing at Yamaha's Groove All Stars 2008 concert.

Some offered solo "clinic" performances; others appeared "in concert" with additional musicians. All shared their talents in an educational and entertaining format that has made the festival a must-see event for drummers around the world.

For more information, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Pro Audio & Combo Division, Drum Products, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622; telephone (714) 522-9011; e-mail infostation@yamaha.com; or visit www.yamahadrums.com.

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Yamaha Drums and Artists Contribute to Historic Event

BUENA PARK, Calif. — Yamaha Drums supplied three Absolute Maple drum sets for the 30th anniversary of the Playboy Jazz Festival, held at the historic Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. The drums meshed seamlessly with the diverse range of acts that took the stage, including Yamaha Artists Dr. John and Jeff Lorber (who appeared with Guitars & Saxes). Yamaha drum artists appearing on the bill included Ndugu Chancler, David Garibaldi, Sherrie Maricle, Ben Riley and Martin Valihora.

Hiromi's Sonicbloom performs at the Playboy Jazz Festival.

Begun in 1959 as a one-time landmark event in Chicago to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Playboy Magazine, the Playboy Jazz Festival was revived in 1979 and remains one of the most unique festivals with its forward thinking and creative programming.

"The Playboy Jazz Festival, an institution in the Los Angeles music world, is one of the best-run festivals anywhere," said Dave Jewell, marketing manager, Yamaha Drums. "If they put it on for the next 30 years, we're ready to be there with them."

Other performers rounding out the array of genres presented included Al Jarreau, Herbie Hancock, Hiromi's Sonicbloom, Keb' Mo' and the Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band.

Yamaha is also the official drum company for other top festivals, including the Monterey Jazz Festival and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

For more information, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Pro Audio & Combo Division, Drum Products, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622; telephone (714) 522-9011; or e-mail infostation@yamaha.com.

Large and Small Size Configurations Introduced

BUENA PARK, Calif. — Yamaha Drums, which earlier this year resurrected the venerable Rogers Drums brand name, is adding new size configurations and finishes to the Trailblazer (RD2007) and Prospector (RD507) drum kits. Both sets come with heavier duty hardware and competitive specifications at their respective price points.

RD518 Prospector in Denim Blue

The first new Trailblazer Drum Set will be available with a 20-in. bass drum, 10-in. and 12-in. toms, a 14-in. floor tom and a matching 14-in. wood snare drum. The second Trailblazer set will come with a 24-in. bass drum, a 12-in tom, a 16-in. floor tom and a 14-in. x 6.5-in. 10-lug steel snare drum. The new Prospector configuration includes an 18-in. bass drum, 12-in tom, 14-in floor tom and a 14-in. matching wood snare drum.

Along with these new sizes, Rogers will offer three new eye-catching finishes: Brushed Copper will be added to the Trailblazer Series, Denim Blue and Brushed Silver to the Prospector.

Trailblazer BCP in Brushed Copper

"The new finishes and drum sizes give customers more options in the ever-growing Rogers lineup," said David Jewell, marketing manager, Rogers Drums. "The 18-inch bass drum is perfect for younger, smaller players and will also suit jazz drummers looking for an affordable second kit, while the Trailblazer kit with the 24-inch bass drum will appeal to young rock drummers looking for something durable, yet affordable. It's also perfect for gigging drummers who like the extra bottom end of a 24-inch kick."

For more information, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Yamaha Drums, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622; telephone (714) 522-9011; e-mail infostation@yamaha.com; or visit www.RogersDrumsUSA.com.

PHX Kit Unleashes a New Era for Yamaha Drums

— New Ultra High-End Drum Set Pushes Musical Boundaries —

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Not resting after celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Yamaha Drums will begin its push to further drumming innovation over the next 40 years when it introduces its ultra high-end PHX Drum Set at Winter NAMM 2008.

In Yamaha's quest to continually expand the boundaries of musicality for drummers, the company used newfound Asian woods to create the PHX kit.

"These particular woods, jatoba and kapur, have never before been used to make drums, and when you put them together in a specific combination, they produce an amazing musical tone," says Dave Jewell, marketing manager, Yamaha Drums, Pro Audio & Combo Division. "We've discovered one of nature's secrets."

In addition to sounding great, the 11-ply shells are a sight to behold. The center ply, jatoba, is an extremely hard wood that provides the drum's core note. On either side are four plies of kapur, which is a softer wood than jatoba. The inner and outer plies of the shell are customized, using maple or a combination of a burled ash outer ply and a maple inner ply.

The concept behind the PHX shell construction is to use the hardest wood in the middle surrounded by softer plies of wood; this produces a sonic "ripple effect" similar to the sound a pebble creates with waves when dropped in water.

"The trend today is thin shells, but frankly, these drums—made with this specific wood combination — do not sound 'thick,'" said Jim Haler, product manager, Yamaha Drums. "They go against every sonic standard of a thick shell."

Joe Testa, Yamaha Drums international artist relations manager, added that "We brought these drums into the studio with some of our top artists, and the difference is astounding. I describe it this way: when most drums are struck, the sound comes from them and hits you. With this kit's sound, it hugs you. Imagine your current Yamaha sound with a natural preamp on it. Generally, a kit's sound improves with age. On the PHX, the aging process seems to be accelerated. Within just a week of playing it, the sound matured immensely. It really is beautiful."

Not only is the shell construction a new venture for Yamaha, the kit's new and improved mounting system is, too. Developed to make the fundamental tone of each drum clearer and better defined, the wooden tom mount, combined with shock-mountable rubber contact points, provides ultimate resonance. As with all Yamaha drums, the mounting points are positioned at the nodal points of the shell.

The newly designed detachable lugs are mounted where the overtones are the highest. The balance of the nodal point mount and the overtone point of the lugs help mute unwanted overtones, making the fundamental tone come alive with much more clarity.

"The PHX was not made to replace our current high end drums, but rather to supply drummers with another musical voice in their arsenal," said Jewell. "Yamaha Drums will continue to create instruments that further a musician's capability to create better music. We pride ourselves in being the choice for those serious about their music."

Available with chrome or gold hardware and in nine impressive finishes (four maple, five in burled ash), the PHX drumset is expected to ship in March 2008.

For more information, visit Yamaha at Winter NAMM 2008 in Booth 4578, Hall C in the Anaheim Convention Center; write Yamaha Corporation of America, Pro Audio & Combo Division, Drum Products, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622; telephone (714) 522-9011; e-mail infostation@yamaha.com; visit www.yamahadrums.com.

Sets Up A Modified Stage Custom Kit, Then Knocks Out Monster Beats

aIn a newly-filmed segment on The Hub, Yamaha Drum Artist Teddy Campbell lets loose on a Stage Custom drum kit, though he generally plays an Absolute Birch Nouveau. After discussing Yamaha's ease of set up and great tone, he knocks out a monster groove. Campbell, the house drummer for American Idol, has also worked with Queen Latifah, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock.

In the photo, Campbell performs at Yamaha's Groove All Stars 2008 concert in Cerritos, Calif., held in conjunction with the Winter NAMM trade show.

Paul Wertico's clinic event at Chicago Drumworks was a resounding success.

There were scores of student and professional musicians in attendance to learn from one of the great drummers of our time. As usual, Paul delivered with a rich mixture of musical performance and insightful dispersal of information useful to drummers of all styles and backgrounds.

Don't forget to set aside time for a visit to Andy's Music when in Chicagoland. In addition to Andy's "Chicago Drumworks", you'll encounter an unbelievable selection of exotic percussion instruments from around the world. Andy's Music also maintains the world's most complete selection of Paiste Gongs. The expertise embodied in Andy's dedicated staff is a bonus, and is nothing short of remarkable.

Henrique De Almeida releases new instructional DVD

Seasoned drumming expert and director of the Percussion Institute of Colorado, Henrique De Almeida has created a DVD that provides an in-depth exploration of the Moeller technique for drumming. Named for drummer Sanford A. Moeller, this method has been popularized by Moeller student Jim Chapin since the 1930s.

Drawn from Civil War-era drumming, the Moeller method combines a variety of techniques with the goal of improving hand speed, power, and control while offering the flexibility to add accented notes at will. Almeida explores the various uses of the Moeller technique in a wide range of drumming styles, providing demonstrations and detailed explanations.

More information on Henrique’s new DVD

View Henrique’s set up