Keyboardist Joseph "Jevanni" Billups
Joseph “Jevanni” Billups is a pianist and composer whose work moves between jazz, classical concert music, gospel, and contemporary performance. Raised within a strong music-education tradition, he developed as both an instrumentalist and a creator, appearing in programs that pair technical command with music's ability to speak to history, spirituality, and the present moment.
Billups drew particular attention during Orlando's Re:Charge concert, where he performed Richard Reed Parry's “Duet for Heart and Breath” with cellist Yamilet Trujillo. In the charged atmosphere of 2020, the piece's heartbeat-and-breath structure became a powerful reflection on racial violence and lives lost during the pandemic. He has also appeared as a guest artist with Young Musical Geniuses and performed original compositions with the ensemble iNtensity.
At St. James Live, audiences can expect expressive piano, carefully shaped dynamics, and a program that values both melody and meaning. Billups brings a composer's sense of architecture to the stage while preserving the freedom, groove, and conversation of live performance.