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Wajdi Cherif

Pianist, composer and band leader

About Me

Wajdi Cherif grew up playing by ear pop music he heard on the local radio in Tunisia at age 5. His interest in jazz began when he discovered pianists Chick Corea, Bill Evans, and Thelonious Monk's live performance videos. This marked a turning point in his music career as he decided to explore jazz piano and composition even further. Wajdi Cherif made his debut as a jazz pianist in 1998 when he played with local jazz musicians in national venues and festivals. This was a significant opportunity for Wajdi Cherif to meet and play with international jazz artists on tour in the country back then. A few months later, Wajdi Cherif played the premiere of jazz legend Archie Shepp during a Jazz festival in Tunis.

Determined to explore the world of jazz piano even further, he traveled to France to meet pianist Bernard Maury at the Bill Evans Piano Academy in Paris where he studied Jazz piano and harmony. During those years, his encounters with great jazz pianists such as Kenny Werner, Chick Corea, Ahmad Jamal and Martial Solal shaped significantly both his vision of music and of playing piano and Jazz in general.

Wajdi Cherif recorded his first album “Phrygian Istikhbar” in Paris in 2003 accompanied by Diego Imbert on acoustic bass, Jeff Boudreau on drums, and Habib Samandi on Arabic percussion. ”Phrygian Istkhbar” was a finalist in the Indie Acoustic Awards in the USA in 2004 and got positive reviews in several jazz publications in France and the US.

Three years later, he recorded his second album entitled “Jasmine” with some of the finest young french jazz musicians, released in 2006 in France. “Jasmine” shows the maturity and excellent artistic standard that pianist and composer Wajdi Cherif has accomplished so far (Honorable mention in the International Songwriting Competition - Judges included Sonny Rollins, John Scofield, Steve Vai, etc.), Indie Acoustic Project winner Best CD of 2005, UNISONG songwriting Contest 1st place winner, …). 

Wajdi Cherif continued to build on stage a solid bridge between two worlds, jazz, and Arabic music. He released in 2008 his 3rd album, entitled “Fuzzy Colors”, an exploration of jazz fusion through personal compositions that integrates all his musical influences so far.

His distinctive performances as a leader in many renowned venues in Tunisia, France, and Canada received critics and public acclaim. Highlights include the Tabarka Jazz Festival (Tunisia), The “Institut Du Monde Arabe (Paris), The Jazz Festival of Reims (France), Theatre des Champs Elysées (Paris), the Tanjazz Festival (Morocco), Jazz In Carthage (Tunisia), Theatre Maison Neuve (Canada), etc. Wajdi Cherif has been active on the Paris jazz scene and played in many jazz clubs such as The “Duc des Lombards”, the “Sunset/Sunside” and the “Baiser Salé”, to name a few.

Press Quotes

“Jasmine is a prime example of a totally successful fusion of different musics… “ Budd Kopman, www.allaboutJazz.com, USA

«Cherif shows himself to be à diverse and interesting composer and performer. While Cherif's influences are strongly evident, the context of the music shows that he is developing his own voice.» David Binder, www.jazzreview.com, USA

« I must tell you how much I truly enjoyed your tastefully composed and so excellently arranged, Produced, and played Instrumental piece. In fact, as a veteran 25-year songwriter myself in addition to overseeing “Unisong” as one spoke of my own career wheel, the highest compliment I can pay you is to say I wish I'd written “Pochade” myself. » Alan Roy Scott, Unisong International Songwriting Competition, USA.

“Tunisian pianist Wajdi Cherif with his CD EP Phrygian Istikhbar, while retaining the flavor of his native country's music, places more emphasis on the jazz tradition, resulting in a fresh new sound that brings a different slant to the concept of world music ». www.jazzreview.com, Canada

“On the short program of Phrygian Istikhbar, Cherif covers a lot of territories. From the romantic solo piece “Tunis by Night” to the bendir-driven title track to the Bill Evans-informed, lightly-swinging ”Waiting for Paris”, Cherif shows himself to be a diverse and interesting composer and performer”. www.ejazznews.com, Canada

“I like fusions and mixing genres and have to say it didn't disappoint. Cherif is a young pianist and composer who has a clear vision of how he can merge the melodies and rhythms of Tunisia with the verve of a jazz quartet”. www.jazzreview.com, Canada

My Jazz Story

There is freedom and a sense of exhilaration in Jazz that is not found in any other music. Jazz is about finding freedom and a personal voice within a structure and that is what appeals to me most. I was first exposed to jazz without any formal training, just by watching videos of Bill Evans, Chick Corea, and Thelonious Monk in my 20s and trying to emulate their playing. Later on, I met jazz legends such as Ahmad Jamal, Kenny Werner, Chick Corea, Martial Solal, Bernard Maury, Fred Hersh, and Barry Harris, among many other wonderful musicians over the years. One of the best jazz records I bought was Keith Jarrett, "The Melody at Night, with You" it is still one of the solo piano masterpieces in my view. My advice to new listeners... Just enjoy it!