Yamaha Drummers Well-Represented in 50th Annual GRAMMY Award Nominations

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (Dec. 20, 2007) — Yamaha Drummers had a banner year in the music industry, and their efforts were clearly recognized when the 50th Annual GRAMMY® Award nominations were announced earlier this month.

"Yamaha Drums would like to congratulate all of our exceptional musicians who have been recognized for their talents and contributions during this past year. We are thrilled that our artists are heard on so many of the top records and that they are in the running for an award that truly honors their craft as musicians." comments Joe Testa, international artist relations manager for Yamaha Drums.

Ray Brinker, Matt Flynn and Larry Mullen, Jr.
Ray Brinker, Matt Flynn and Larry Mullen, Jr.
Yamaha artist Larry Mullen Jr., who plays drums for world-renowned rock super group U2, lent his talents to two nominations: Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "Instant Karma" and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "Window in the Skies."

Maroon 5's second studio album, It Won't Be Soon Before Long, which debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200, features Yamaha artist Matt Flynn on drums and earned the band a nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album. The band was also nominated for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "Makes Me Wonder."

Oliver Charles is a member of Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, which was nominated for Best Pop Instrumental Performance for "Paris Sunrise #7."

Mike Bordin, who plays Yamaha drums, is a member of Ozzy Osbourne's band. Ozzy was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance for the song "I Don't Wanna Stop."

Two jazz categories featured Yamaha drummers, among other Yamaha artists. Yamaha saxophone artist Paquito D'Rivera and Yamaha drum artist Mark Walker earned a nomination for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album for their work with the Paquito D'Rivera Quintet on Funk Tango. Walker is also nominated as a composer for Best Instrumental Composition for the album Deep Six.

Yamaha drummer Ray Brinker of the Tierney Sutton Band, contributed his talents to On The Other Side, which is in the running for Best Jazz Vocal Album.

The 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held Feb. 10, 2008, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast live on CBS.