Claude Gouiffé

BIOGRAPHY

Claude Gouiffé first traveled the world as a professional bassist, carried by the road, the stage, and the living pulse of music.

Over the course of countless tours, he had the honor of performing alongside major artists such as Eddie Harris, Louisiana Red, Champion Jack Dupree, John Thomas, Francisco Zumaque, Lou Blackburn, and Nina Simone.

A defining encounter with two jazz legends — Art Blakey, drummer and bandleader, and Dorothy Donegan, virtuoso pianist — led him back to his first love: the piano. From that moment on, Claude devoted himself fully to jazz piano, exploring musical cultures from around the world and shaping a deeply personal sound, where improvisation becomes a language and rhythm a breath.

After settling back in France, he refined his playing through several conservatories, bridging classical and jazz training, notably at the Bill Evans Piano Academy, and the Royal Conservatoire of Brussels. There, he studied harmony with Bernard Maury, pianist and founder of the school, while also accompanying him on double bass during masterclasses.

As an arranger and studio musician, Claude composes, writes, arranges, and performs — both on piano and bass — moving freely across genres, from jazz to rap, from pop to improvised music. Today, he is back on the Paris scene as a pianist, and he also shares his craft with passion: a respected teacher, he leads harmony and piano improvisation classes at Arts Elements Productions in Paris.