YAMAHA PIANOS AND DRUMS PERFORM AT MONTEREY JAZZ FESTIVAL

BUENA PARK, CA (October 17, 2003)—The 46th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival, held September 19-21, drew more than 40,000 music fans to the historic California seaside town's 20-acre Fairground site to enjoy a line-up of regional and international artists. Yamaha Corporation of America continued to build its long and valued relationship with the world's longest-running jazz festival by providing pianos and drum kits for the event, and donating musical instruments to its associated jazz education programs.

The Monterey Jazz Festival attracts more than 40,000 fans and 500 different acts.

Yamaha and Gadsby's Music of Salinas, CA provided a DGC1A Disklavier piano as a hole-in-one prize for the Festival's Golf 'n' Jazz Tournament.

Pianos for the six performance stages and rehearsal areas were provided by dealers from around the Bay Area, including Yamaha Peninsula Music Center in San Jose and Gadsby's Music of Salinas, CA. A Yamaha DGT7 GranTouch was the highlight of this year's "Technology and Music" concert series on the Courtyard Stage, and a DGC1A Disklavier was a hole-in-one prize for the Festival's unique kick off event, the Golf 'n' Jazz Tournament.

Yamaha also provided a selection of drum kits for the performance stages including Maple Custom Absolute, Beech Custom Absolute, Birch Custom Absolute, Oak Custom, Maple Custom, and Stage Custom Advantage models.

"I have four Yamaha kits myself and I would have nothing less on these stages," said drum and percussion stage manager Jeff Wallace. "Yamaha drums bring consistency and quality to every stage, and I get nothing but compliments from everyone that plays them."

Performers included: Buckwheat Zydeco, Gary Burton & Makoto Ozone, Jacky Terrasson Trio, Eddie Palmieri, The Neville Brothers, Herbie Hancock Quartet and John McLaughlin.

For additional Festival information, visit The Monterey Jazz Festival web site at www.montereyjazzfestival.org.

For more information about Yamaha products, write Yamaha Corporation of America, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622-6600; call (714) 522-9011; email infostation@yamaha.com or visit www.yamaha.com.