Biography
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Born
25 September 1954 (age 69)
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Born In
Siemianowice Śląskie, Śląskie, Poland
Apostolis Anthimos, "Lakis" as his friends and fans call him, was born in 1954 in Stalinogród (Stalin-Town, now called Katowice), Upper Silesia, actually a part of Poland under soviet occupation, in a family of greek immigrants, military junta victims, living in Silesia.
Already as a teenager Apostolis became one of the most famous Silesian musicians, performing with Józef Skrzek and Jerzy Piotrowski in Silesian Blues Band (SBB). He has also worked with Grupa Niemen, recording 4 LPs which became milestones in the history of Polish rock music. Already at the fragile age of 17 he performed at the Jazz & Rock Now!, the opening show for the Olympic Games in Munich 1972 next to John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra and Charles Mingus. The peak of his career was definitely his co-operation with SBB - the most significant group in Polish rock music. SBB attracted many jazz musicians Don Cherry, Tomasz Stańko, Tomasz Szukalski, Andrzej Przybielski to name a few. After the band had split up in the beginning of the 80s Apostolis performed with such local bands as Krzak or Dżem. He also continued to work with jazz trumpeter Tomasz Stańko.
While the soviet "Martial Law" in Poland Apostolis moved to Greece, where he worked as a session musician. He played with Vangelis Katsoulis and Tomasz Stańko's projects like C.O.C.X. or Freelectronic. He also toured with George Dalaras (Europe, Australia, Argentina, the USA). After the soviet "Martial Law" Apostolis took part in SBB comebacks (1991, 1993, 1999). SBB played many concerts in Poland and abroad and released couple of live albums. In 2000 SBB came back in the following line-up: Józef Skrzek, Apostolis Anthimos and the Pat Metheny Group drummer Paul Wertico. They toured Europe, America and recorded 2 new studio LP's - "Nastroje" and "New Century". Apostolis himself recorded four solo albums - "Days We Can't Forget" with Jim Beard, Gil Goldstein, Matthew Garrison, Paul Wertico and Sugar Blue, live "Theatro" with his greek TRIAS trio, "Back To The North", recorded in trio with Paul Wertico and Marcin Pospieszalski and "Miniatures" recorded on his own in 2008.
Apostolis plays with SBB, with his own trio, the Apostolis Anthimos Trio, the Apostolis Anthimos Quartet (with Arild Andersen and Tomasz Szukalski), with Janusz Skowron as Anthimos Skowron United, with Marcin Pospieszalski and friends as EMPE3 and with Milo Kurtis and friends as Drum Freaks.
Tomasz Szukalski died homeless in 2012 after being robbed, depropriated and tortured by soviet invaders.
Apostolis Anthimos is actually supported by John McLaughlin's recent band 4th Dimension musicians Gary Husband and Etienne Mbappé.
Info in Greek: http://diskoryxeion.blogspot.de/2011/06/blog-post_14.html
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