"I make music that moves people — and yeah, I'll probably crack a joke while doing it."
Joe Davis — Musical Director, Kingston JA
Kingston, Jamaica
Jamaican-British (Dual Citizen)
Berklee College of Music, Boston
Vocals · Drums · Steel Pan · Keys · Bass · Guitar · Melodica · Mixed Percussion
Joe Davis is a 23-year-old Jamaican-British musical director, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist. Born in England and raised in Jamaica from age 10, he carries two national identities with equal pride — and both are audible in his music.
By his early teens he had already passed his classical piano diploma exam with distinction, had been transcribing arrangements by ear, and noticed that every sound he heard appeared as colours in his mind. The neurologists call it Chromesthesia. Joe calls it his superpower.
At 15, Joe became the first — and at the time only — person in Jamaica to receive a distinction in the ARSM Classical Piano Diploma exam. He went on to attend Idyllwild Arts Academy in California, majoring in Jazz Piano and minoring in Songwriting, graduating as "Most Outstanding Artist." He then enrolled at Berklee College of Music in Boston, studying Contemporary Writing & Production, before returning to Kingston to build his career on home turf.
His credits have taken him from the Berklee Performance Center (sold out) to SXSW, from performing the Star-Spangled Banner for VP Kamala Harris to co-arranging GloRilla's Saturday Night Live performance and producing for Kirk Franklin's upcoming album "Church Music." He's been invited to DJ Jazzy Jeff's PLAYLIST Retreat twice and was featured in Rolling Stone for it. He's recognised by Jacob Collier, Questlove, Tori Kelly, Shontelle, Protojé, Maségo, Chronixx, and DJ Jazzy Jeff among others.
Away from the stage, Joe is a breakdancer, a passionate programmer and developer currently building two apps, and a lover of graphic, web, UI, and UX design. He co-founded The Garden JA (a platform for upcoming Jamaican musicians) and Chromatics Creative Studios. He's also developing The Musician's Digital Encore — a course helping musicians navigate the digital world. He's a man of faith, an admitted goofball, and a firm believer that the best music rooms also laugh the most.
From the church pew to the concert hall — the milestones that shaped the sound.
Eight instruments. One musical director.
Joe sees music in colour — a rare form of synesthesia where sound triggers automatic, vivid colour experiences. Every chord has a shade. Every key has a temperature. He wouldn't turn it off if he could.
Absolute pitch — Joe can identify and produce any musical note without a reference tone. Handy in the studio. Insufferable in restaurants with piped music.
Joe loves programming, coding, and UI/UX design. He's currently building two apps — including Cipher, a music chart tool — and designs all his own artwork and digital projects.
Yes, really. The musicality that shapes his arrangements is the same thing that drives him to the dancefloor. He moves like he hears — which is to say, very intentionally.
Joe is a Christian. His faith is central to who he is and how he works — not a checkbox, not a performance. It shapes how he leads, how he creates, and how he treats people.
The rehearsal room has to laugh. Joe brings energy, banter, and the occasional terrible pun to every session — because tense musicians don't play well together.
MD, arranger, session player, or all three — get in touch and let's figure out what your project needs.