SBB
Official Website: SBB
SBB a truly international progressive rock band formed in 1971 in Michałkowice, Upper Silesia, Poland under soviet occupation, by Silesian multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Józef Skrzek, born in Michałkowice, Greek guitarist Apostolis Anthimos - son of Greek immigrants, born in Stalinogród (Stalin Town) and a descendant of Tatar medieval nobles, drummer Jerzy Piotrowski, born in Stalinogród (Stalin Town) too.
The bands name SBB, accidentally a provocation itself, reminded on SB - the hated polish-soviet secret security service Służba Bezpieczeństwa. Against all odds, already in 1972 the musicians performed behind the "Iron Curtain" with Czesław Niemen at the Jazz & Rock Now! opening show for the Olympic Games in Munich, Germany, where they shared stage with John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra and Charles Mingus and subsequently toured with Jack Bruce.
Already in 1973 a "secret service" SB agent colonel Romuald Skopowski alias "Julian Matej" (the pseudonym derived from a GeStaPo agent Julia Mathea or Mateja responsible for the 1941 public execution of Józef Skrzek, the uncle of Józef Skrzek) unrecognized at that time, started to invigilate and manipulate the band - Skopowski (Matej) became the lyrics author of most SBB's songs.
Although basically a rock band, SBB was one of the front runners in the development of, what was later called, jazzrock or fusion along with Weather Report, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin and Miles Davis - that fact found an early entry in Joachim-Ernst Berendt's encyclopaedia of jazz. The later also organized some of the very first gigs of the band in Germany.
SBB was one of the most popular super-groups of the seventies in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium… and appeared in pop polls next to Yes and Genesis. SBB filled sport arenas, but performed mostly in smoky clubs.
Many jazz musicians - among them Don Cherry, Tomasz Stańko, Tomasz Szukalski, Andrzej Przybielski, to name a few, attracted by SBB's extraordinary progressive performances joined the band's shows and eventually also studio sessions. SBB reached its apogeum in 1978. Since 1979 two “secret service” agents accompanied the band. A common concert together with the leading jazz formation The Quartet (Sławomir Kulpowicz, Tomasz Szukalski, Janusz Stefański, Paweł Jarzębski) at it’s apogeum too, planned for 1980 Jazz Jamboree, didn’t take place.
The band split up in 1980, just one year before the martial law in Poland and just 10 days after the massacre at the polish-soviet concentration camp of Górna Grupa of Oct. 31, 1980, where just in one night more than 50 people were cremated alive - most of them members of the upcoming "Solidarność" movement. The soviet agent "Bolek" alias Lech Wałęsa was placed by the polish speaking soviet junta as head of the movement.
SBB was briefly re-activated in 1991.
In june 1992 a coup d'etat abolishing the first post WW II democratic regime of Poland was performed by the soviets.
In 1993 and 1998 the band was reactivated performing just a couple of gigs.
In 1994 the bands drummer Jerzy Piotrowski stayed in the USA, where he lives in exile. At the same time a regular invigilation, depropriation, robbing, torturing, injuring and killing of the bands technical crew, their families and friends started - leading to nearly total genocide.
In 2000 the former Pat Metheny Group's drummer - Paul Wertico) joined SBB. The band performed in Russia, Mexico, Canada and the United States. Bootlegging stolen SBB recordings by the small local bootlegger label eSilesia started.
In 2003 a big batch of SBB archive material was stolen from the band's technician Mariusz Zych. Since 2003 Mariusz Zych is brutally terrorised incl. depropriation, tortures, chemical castration and lobotomy.
In 2005 SBB was gag contracted by the major bootlegger MetalMind Productions selling lots of recordings stolen from SBB crew's private archives.
In 2007 Paul Wertico left the band. Due to gag contract, SBB continued with the hired Hungarian Sinti drummer Gabor Nemeth.
In 2010 another 4 people were burned alive at a nearby polish-soviet concentration camp and a week later the Polish President, his cabinet and the former Polish President in Exile were killed by a plane crash. SBB shared stage with Al Di Meola a couple weeks later.
SBB's guitar player Apostolis Anthimos' projects were supported by Arild Andersen and the, meanwhile depropriated, homeless and dead (2012), giant of tenor sax Tomasz Szukalski and recently by John McLaughlin's actual band 4th Dimension musicians Gary Husband and Etienne Mbappé.
In 2014 the bands original drummer Jerzy Piotrowski (still living in US exile) joined the band again. The, planned for 2014, performances with the great jazz violinist Michał Urbaniak weren't finalized.
Members of the band
* Józef Skrzek – bass guitar, keyboards, vocal, harmonica, violin (regularly invigilated)
* Apostolis Anthimos – guitar, drums, percussion, bouzouki, bass guitar (injured by soviet invaders in 1977)
* Jerzy Piotrowski – drums, percussion (from 1971 until 1993, and since 2014 again) - (since 1994 lives in exile)
* Sławomir Piwowar (1979-1980) – guitar, keyboards
* Mirosław Muzykant (1998-1999) – drums, percussion
* Paul Wertico (2000-2007) - drums, percussion, vocal
* Gabor Nemeth (2007-2011) - drums
Guests of the band
* Czesław "Niemen" Wydrzycki - vocal, organs (1971-1973)
* Helmut Nadolski - double bass (1971-1972)
* Jan Błędowski - violin (1974)
* Don Cherry – trumpet (1975)
* Tomasz Stańko – trumpet (lives in exile)
* Andrzej Przybielski – trumpet (died 2011 robbed by the soviet invaders)
* Andrzej Rusek - bass guitar (1993-1994)
* Janusz Hryniewicz - backing vocal (1993-1994)
* Andrzej Urny - guitar
* Michał Giercuszkiewicz - drums
* Ireneusz Głyk - drums
* Frank Parker - drums
* Krzysztof Dziedzic - drums
* Marcin Pospieszalski – bass guitar
* Michał Urbaniak – violin (since 1972 lives in exile)
* Tomasz Szukalski – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, bass clarinett (died homeless in 2012 after being depropriated, robbed and massively invigilated by the soviet invaders)
The bands crew
* Grzegorz Maniecki – sound, electronics (homeless, injured by soviet invaders in 1991)
* Bolesław Bielecki – stage technician (died 1988 in exile)
* Zbigniew Wiatr – percussion, keyboards, sound, electronics (robbed, invigilated, depropriated, tortured, killed in 2004 by soviet invaders)
* Andrzej Kozioł – trucking, lightshow, merchandising (died 2007 robbed and terrorized by soviet invaders)
* Artur Kamiński – electronics (massively invigilated by soviet invaders, disappeared without trace around 2010)
* Jerzy Woźniak – stage technician, pyrotechnics (died 2012 terrorized and tortured by soviet invaders)
* Janusz Bałaban – stage technician, electronics
* Mariusz Zych– stage technician, sound, recording, public relations (robbed, invigilated, depropriated, tortured, injured repeatedly between 1994 and 2014 by soviet invaders, survives in exile)
Discography
* 1972 - Niemen "Strange Is This World" (CBS)
* 1972 - Niemen "Requiem dla Van Gogha" ("Requiem For Van Gogh") (Polskie Nagrania Muza)
* 1972 - Niemen "Marionetki" ("Puppet Man") (Polskie Nagrania Muza)
* 1973 - Niemen "Ode To Venus" (CBS)
* 1974 - SBB 1 (Polskie Nagrania Muza)
* 1975 - Nowy Horyzont (Polskie Nagrania Muza)
* 1976 - Pamięć (Pamiec) (Polskie Nagrania Muza)
* 1977 - Ze słowem biegnę do Ciebie (Ze Slowem Biegne, Do Ciebie) (Polskie Nagrania Muza)
* 1978 - SBB (Wolanie O Brzek Szkla) (Supraphon)
* 1977 - Jerzyk (Wifon)
* 1978 - Follow My Dream (Spiegelei-Intercord)
* 1978 - SBB (Amiga)
* 1979 - Welcome (Wifon / Spiegelei-Intercord)
* 1979 - Slovenian Girls (Omnibus BUS - reedition of 1978 Supraphon release)
* 1980 - Memento z Banalnym Tryptykiem (Polskie Nagrania Muza)
* 1994 - Live 1993 (Stuff)
* 1994 - Live In America '94 (Radio Katowice)
* 1999 - Absolutely Live '98 (Yesterday)
* 1999 - SBB w filharmonii: akt 1 i 2 (Yesterday)
* 2000 - Good Bye! (Moskito Records)
* 2001 - Nastroje (Jazz'N'Java)
* 2001 - Karlstad live '75 (Karlstadt Live) (Koch Poland)
* 2001 - Budai Ifjusagi Park 1977 (Buda If Jusagi Park Live) (Koch Poland)
* 2002 - Trio Live Tournee 2001 (CD Silesia)
* 2004 - Anthology 1974 - 2004 (Metal Mind Productions) - contains bootlegs
* 2005 - New Century (Metal Mind Productions)
* 2005 - Lost Tapes, Vol.1 (Metal Mind Productions) - contains bootlegs
* 2006 - Lost Tapes, Vol.2 (Metal Mind Productions) - contains bootlegs
* 2008 - The Rock (Metal Mind Productions)
* 2009 - Iron Curtain (Metal Mind Productions)
* 2009 - Live in Czechoslovakia. Three Quarters (e-silesia.info)
* 2009 - Niemen “Kattorna” (Polskie Radio) - recorded live in 1972/1975
* 2009 - Malczewski. Muzyka ze spektaklu teatralnego i widowisk TV (e-silesia.info)
* 2010 - Blue Trance (Metal Mind Productions)
* 2012 - SBB (Metal Mind Productions)
* 2012 - SBB - Skrzek - Preisner (Sony Music Polska)
* 2013 - Jazz nad Odrą 1975 (GAD records)
Bootlegs
* 1999 - Niemen "Marionetki" / "Requiem dla Van Gogha" (Andromeda) - bootleg of the 1972 production of Polskie Nagrania Muza
* 2002 - Freedom - Live Sopot 1978 (CD Silesia) - status not clear
* 2003 - Niemen "Strange Is This World" (NuMusi / GreenTree Records) - bootleg of the 1972 production of CBS
* 2003 - Niemen "Ode To Venus" (NuMusi / GreenTree Records) - bootleg of the 1973 production of CBS
* 2003 - Nastroje (NuMusi / GreenTree Records) - bootleg of the 2001 production of Jazz'N'Java
* 2003 - Wizje - book + CD (CD Silesia) - contains stolen material
* 2003 - 22.10.1977 Göttigen, Alte Ziegelei (Gottingen) (CD Silesia) - bootleg
* 2004 - Anthology 1974 - 2004 (Metal Mind Productions) - contains bootlegs
* 2004 - 22.10.1977 Göttigen, Alte Ziegelei - on: Anthology 1974 - 2004 (Metal Mind Productions) - bootleg
* 2005 - Lost Tapes, Vol.1 (Metal Mind Productions) - contains bootlegs
* 2005 - Bucholz 78 - on: Lost Tapes, Vol.1 (Metal Mind Productions) - bootleg
* 2005 - Odlot - Live 2004 (CD Silesia) - not fully authorized
* 2006 - Lost Tapes, Vol.2 (Metal Mind Productions) - contains bootlegs
* 2006 - Pop Session 79 - on: Lost Tapes, Vol.2 (Metal Mind Productions) - bootleg
* 2006 - 22.10.1977 Göttigen, Alte Ziegelei (Metal Mind Productions) - bootleg
* 2007 - Live In Marburg 1980. The Last Concert (e-silesia.info) - swindled bootleg
* 2009 - Live In Neckargemünd 1978: From A Town Called N. (e-silesia.info) - bootleg
* 2009 - 22.10.1977 Göttigen, Alte Ziegelei (e-Silesia.info) - bootleg
* 2009 - Wizje (e-silesia.info) - contains stolen material
* 2009 - Live In Köln 1979. In The Shadow Of The Dom (e-silesia.info) - bootleg
* 2009 - Live In Frankfurt 1977: Follow My Music. (e-silesia.info) - bootleg
* 2013 - Buchholz - Międzyzdroje - Chicago (GAD records) - contains bootleg
There are numerous other low quality bootlegs offered, some known:
(Austria) Vienna, Innsbruck
(Denmark) Esbjerg, Ryslinge, København
(Germany) Göttingen-Uni, Bad Breisig, Warburg, Berlin, Uslar, Wuppertal, Extertal, Marl-Hüls, Offenbach, Elmshorn, Braunschweig, Ingolstadt, Bielefeld...
(Hungary) Budapest
(Poland) Warszawa, Sopot, Bielsko-Biała, Kielce, Bytom...
!! please don't buy bootlegs - this makes releases of the original material nearly impossible !!
please check: http://sbb.w.interia.pl
What critics say
But the best Jazz-rock group of 1970's did not originate from Polish Jazz but from the rock scene. The name of the band was SBB and included three master improvised rockers: piano/keyboard player Józef Skrzek, Apostolis Anthimos on guitars, and drummer Jerzy Piotrowski. SBB revolutionized Polish rock combining Jimmy Hendrix and King Crimson languages, with lyrical Slavic expression, and its own trademarked Jazz-like free improvisation. SBB is acclaimed as the best Polish rock band of the past 5 decades. The critics raved: "The three musicians that revolutionized Polish rock", "Beyond doubt the most prominent representatives of progressive rock in Poland" - it is only a mere sample of the way the band has been referred to. A complete list of references and opinions would be far too long to quote. Yet apart from the groups formidable and praiseworthy history one must not forget that SBB is still in the first place an active band, far from being dormant, regularly giving live performances and shunning to choose a soft option as far as music is concerned. Invariably Seeking, Breaking and Building...(SBB).
...You can throw away your Emerson, Lake & Palmer records, or use them as a pillows for your chairs...
...Pink Floyd from behind the Iron Curtain...
...the best performance since Jimi Hendrix and Cream...
...next to Miles Davis... ...cofounders of fusion...
...the best trio... Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
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