YAMAHA HAS CAMERON BEAT TO THE DANCE OF A DIFFERENT DRUM

—Pearl Jam Drummer Matt Cameron Beats On Birch Custom Drums—

The Beat Goes On: PJ’s Matt Cameron, right, and Takashi "Hagi" Hagiwara of Yamaha Drums, left.

BUENA PARK, CA (August 1, 2002)—Regarded among both music professionals and fans as one of rock's finest and most versatile drummers, Matt Cameron joined superstar "grunge" group Pearl Jam in 1998, after Soundgarden disbanded a year earlier. After assuming the position of drummer for the Seattle-based band, Matt recorded and released the band's sixth studio album, Binaural in May 2000. With his eclectic drumming style of jazz, metal, and blues, Cameron has recorded with such artists as Tone Dogs, The Temple of the Dog, Rush’s Geddy Lee, and Black Sabbath’s Tommy Iommi, pounding diverse drum rhythms on Yamaha’s Birch Custom Absolute drum kit.

"I am very proud to be a part of the Yamaha family," notes Cameron. "I have played many brands of drums over the years, but always came back to a birch Yamaha kit I bought in 1980. I felt right at home with the sound. Now with the Birch Custom Absolute series, I feel like I built a new home I can live in forever."

The Yamaha Birch Custom Absolute features a slick, high gloss lacquer exterior finish that wins the drum kit a best-in-show award either on stage or in the studio. The 100% birch shell enables the drum to extract rich and deep tones and the Yamaha Enhanced Sustain System (YESS), a mounting technique that sustains minimum mount-to-shell contact for increased resonance and maximum dynamic range. On the 18" drum a Floating Base Drum System elevates and supports the beater to strike dead-center. All these features and more make the Yamaha Birch Custom Absolute a legendary drum kit for both the professional and beginning drummer.

"The sound and technology s that goes into the Birch Custom Absolute series can make a beginner sound like a professional—and a professional sound positively legendary," notes Joe Testa, drum artist relations manager, Yamaha Corporation of America. "This is a great drum kit because drummers can dig right in and get results."

Cameron’s diverse drumming will be heard once again upon the premiere of Pearl Jam’s latest album in Fall of 2002. The band will then embark upon a world-wide tour to promote the anticipated release.

For more information, contact Yamaha Corporation of America, Drum Division, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622, telephone 714-522-9011, email infostation@yamaha.com; or visit www.yamahadrums.com.