AVANT  ISSUE 16   SUMMER 2000

Welcome yet again to Avant, now even bigger, better and with extra colour pages!
In this issue we continue our saxophone secrets series with a retrospective look at Anthony Braxton by Steve Day, in the light of his fascinating meeting with Francesco Martinelli, the Italian author of a new book on Braxton, plus a look at our own brilliant British saxophonist Iain Ballamy, who has a beautifully produced new CD juts out,'Pepper St.'

In our efforts to cover all areas of contemporary music we expand our recent sound sculpture articles to include not only the conclusion of Derek Shiels interview, but a retrospective look at two highly acclaimed recent British exhibitions of Sound Art, The 'Vibrations' exhibition at Colchester University, and 'Sonic Boom' at the Haywood, plus a fascinating overview of 'Sound Sculpture and Electronic music' by Roger Sutherland.

Our look at Pianists also continues this issue in 'Piano Poles', featuring a wide range of contemporary pianists from straight ahead but highly creative jazzer Brad Mehidau, to the new Greek sensation on ECM, Vassilis Tsabropoulos, and Keith Tippett, with his excellent new release with string quartet, 'Linukea'.

This issue we continue our Free CD offer with a terrific sampler from small independent French label 'Sonore', with their stable of artists including, Slede, Zive Slede, Hauts de Plafond, Alboth, and quite a number of the extremely interesting new wave Japanese composers/groups at the moment such as Ruins, Hoppy Kamiyama and Jyoji Sawada, (and along those lines we also have a new interview with the International group 'Powerfield'.)

And as if all this wasn't enough, we also continue American Michael Bettine's series on percussionists, this time with the wonderful Gunter (Baby) Sommers, and also manage to cram in an article about Daryl Runswick as well as the expanded CD reviews and 'Performance Space' live reviews sections.

I apologise for the absence of the Jan Garbarek article, but hope to bring that to you next issue in our continuing saxophone secrets series, along with Jon Loyd, John Butcher, Michael Brecker and Steve Days look at Albert Ayler. next Issue will also be a 'Percussion Special' with new and fresh interviews/articles on such diverse percussionists as Evelyn Glennie, Paul Burwell, Fredy Studer and Fritz Hauser, along with other articles on Steve Martland, and much much more.

Hope you like it !!!

FREE WITH ISSUE 16 OF AVANT MAGAZINE