A Czech-Polish jazz journey: David Dorůžka & Piotr Wyleżoł Quartet release new album

Czech guitarist and composer David Dorůžka and Polish pianist Piotr Wyleżoł – two leading names on the Central European jazz scene – have teamed up for a new album titled When the Child Was a Child. Officially launched this week at JazzFestBrno, the record takes its name from Wim Wenders’ film Wings of Desire and offers an acoustic journey drawing on both jazz and folk traditions.

The David Dorůžka & Piotr Wyleżoł Quartet is rounded out by double bassist Michał Barański and drummer Michał Miśkiewicz. The album was recorded in Warsaw in September 2024 and marks a return to a more stripped-down, mostly acoustic sound after Dorůžka’s previous, more electric release.

The nine tracks include a fresh interpretation of Eugene by American musician Sufjan Stevens, as well as two pieces featuring young harmonica player Nicholas Patů, making his recording debut.

The album closes with Nad břehym, nad vodu (Above the Bank, Above the Water), a song by 20th-century Czechoslovak composer and ethnographer Anna Dřevjaná, known for her folk song collections.