Lakis Tzimkas

Lakis Tzimkas

Lakis Tzimkas was born in Thessaloniki, Greece in 1968. First study on electric bass at Jazz Conservatory in Thessaloniki. In 1994 further studies at American Institute of Music in Vienna, with Angus Thomas, Jonas Hellborg, Wayne Brasel and others, lead to achieving a Professional diploma. In 1995 studies on jazz contrabass at Art University of Graz, Austria, with Wayne Darling, Ewald Oberleitner and Mark Dresser. In 1996 he had his first solo-bass concert. In June 2000 he finishes the studies and achieves a Master degree. 2008 he took his diploma on classical doublebass from Macedonia University of Thessaloniki.

During his staying in Austria he played and toured with the Big Band and the Symphony Orchestra of Graz University, in Austria, Slovenia, Poland and Slovakia.

Since July 2000, he lives in Thessaloniki, Greece, and he plays in many different bands with numerous styles varying from be-bop to funk, contemporary music.

Namely, he played with: Sheila Jordan,Mark Murphy, MilchoLeviev, Fritz Pauer, Antoni Donchev, Fabian Almazan, Uli Rennert, Chico Freeman, James Carter, Terrence Blanchard, Danny Hayes, RickMargitza, Andy Sheppard, Tony Lakatos, Chuck Manning, Adam Nussbaum, Richie Morales, Airto Moreira, Justin Faulkner, Ari Hoenig, Greg Hutchinson, Clyde Stubblefield, Joris Dudli, Jeff Boudreaux, Glenn Ferris, Ed Neumeister, Teodosii Spassov, Mark Whitfiel, Faton Macula, Angus “Bangus” Thomas, Henry Robinett, Wayne Brasel, Mordy Ferber, Makis Stefanidis, Ron Petrides, Sakis Papadimitriou, Christos Yermenoglou, Dimitris Vassilakis, Giotis Kiourtsoglou, Trio Balkano and many more.

In addition, he conducted and played with the "Magic Road Big Band", in October 2002, with Milcho Leviev and Vicky Almasidou as special guest performers.

He played in jazz clubs and festivals like Porgy and Bess, in Vienna, Orpheum, in Graz, B Flat in Berlin, Rabbat jazz festival, in Morocco, Warsaw summer jazz days, in Poland, Santorini jazz festival and Sani jazz festival, Thessaloniki Olympic city jazz festival and Athens Olympic city jazz festival, in Greece, Euro jazz festival in Mexico, Plovdiv Jazz Festival,  and many others in Greece and Europe.

He worked with Symphony and Philharmonic orchestras of Thessaloniki in different concerts.

He teaches electric bass, contrabass and jazz harmony at Modern Music Conservatory  in Thessaloniki and in music school of Thessaloniki.

He recorded music for theater and films.

He arranged the music for band and symphony orchestra for the rap artist 12os Pithikos for the concert at Thessaloniki concert Hall 15th of October 2023.

Discography

• Faton Macula – “I Remember You” (1998)
• Krzystofa Górniak – “Tales” (2000)
• Blue Train with Wayne Brasel – “Sky Paths” (2002)
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