Jazz history knows boxers who became pianists (Red Garland, who was active with Miles Davis in the 1950s). And it knows of swimming instructors who finally recognized their true vocation in the art of vocal coaching (singer Maria João).

Since Uli Soyka, we know that a trained goldsmith and engraver can find the path to becoming a drummer. "You need a lot of sitting flesh for both! And precision! Free music in particular, if it wants to be good, is incredibly precise and attentive at every point," says the 46-year-old, seeing parallels. Soyka is considered a prime example of a do-it-yourself musician: as a self-taught musician without a network base, he had to create his own spaces in the Viennese scene in which he could live his music. This impulse continues to this day: Uli Soyka is busy as a bandleader, educator, operator of his Pan-Tau-X label (on which he has released recordings with prominent colleagues from the likes of Dave Liebman and Ernst Reijsegers), as well as an organizer in his own right. (...) Spontaneous and full of surprises. (Andreas Felber, 2010)

On October 1, the bustling Uli Soyka celebrates his 60th birthday - appropriately on the P&B stage with an extensive showcase of his current work. Happy Birthday! CH

In collaboration with Pan Tau X