Charly Antolini was born on May 24, 1937, in Zurich, Switzerland, and is a Swiss jazz drummer. He began his musical journey with traditional drumming before transitioning to professional jazz music. In 1956, he started playing professionally in Paris, performing with notable musicians such as Sidney Bechet and Bill Coleman. His early career included collaborations with the old-time jazz band The Tremble Kids. He moved to Stuttgart, Germany, in 1962, becoming a key member of the SWR Bigband under Erwin Lehn. Throughout his career, he played with various big bands, including those led by Kurt Edelhagen and Max Greger. In 1972, he formed the Fusion trio Catch Up with Max Greger Jr. and Milan Pilar. Notable collaborations include performances with Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton. His album Knock Out (1979) became famous for its high fidelity and is still used as a test for HiFi systems. In 1994, he founded a trio with pianist Dirk Raufeisen and bassist Jimmy Woode, and he later served as artistic director of the Munich jazz series Moosach swingt.
