Moroccan Jazz Pianist, Composer and Arranger, Author & Researcher, Sound Developer & Type Designer
Born into a family of musicians, a (self-taught) professional jazz pianist, educator, author, researcher in musicology and also a type designer, a passionate about hand-lettering, comic-lettering and Architect lettering.Ā I wroteĀ JAZZOLOGY: The Encyclopedia of Jazz Theory for all MusiciansĀ (with Bob Rawlins in 2005). I am especially interested in jazz, traditional music of the Maghreb, African, and Oriental music which all influence his compositions. I created with the bassist Hamza Souissi THE B’LDi JAZZ TRIO through which we develop a creative, intense and expressive Moroccan jazz music which leaves a lot of room for improvisation. I evolve, thus, in a world in which jazz, Moroccan, African and Oriental music meet to create surprising and memorable melodies. I performed many rearrangements of Moroccan traditional music such as Gnawa, Melhoun, Andalussi and Ghernati music. In addition to having played with several Moroccan and foreign jazz musicians in different styles, I participated in such other musical projects as the “Palimpsests” project held in 2012 by Moroccan jazz saxophonist Karim Soussan with whom we made many arrangements for Africa United band. As a member of The Souissi Brothers Jazz Quartet, I composed several themes with a unique fusion of North African music heritage and jazz. I’m currently the pianist of the moroccan diva singer Nabyla Maan to whom I arranged several songs especially the best watched one on YouTube Chems El Achiy and the successful song Ghzel Fatma with my jazzy touch. IĀ also play with JAZZ’AMAZIGH Quartet with whom I co-arranged several tunes with Oussema Chtouki the bass player and Meryem Assid the singer. Now I’m writing a second and a third book devoting to jazz improvisation and jazz piano harmony:
āEssential Elements in Jazz Improvisation: Technical Studies For The Developing Musicians
āJazz Piano: Advanced Harmonic Movements
I’m 43 years old, I teach jazz piano basics at the Rabat American School, I perform with my MoroJazz Tinge Trio/Quartet, I’m a father of two wonderful kids Besma and Camil.
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