Many cats have tried their hand at “Just the Two of Us” over the years, but few had the R&B classic cookin’ as much as Joshua Constantine and his band did. Pianist Dr. J. Reginald Jackson kicked off the song with a fresh and imaginative take on “My Favorite Things,” then swung the melody around to “Just the Two of Us.” From there, singer Jaeden Henderson dropped in with a soulful vocal on the 1980 classic.
The band put their own take on the Grover Washington Jr. and Bill Withers tune, putting more of a jazz spin on it rather than the more straight-ahead R&B of the original. Henderson’s honeyed vocals were definitely taking center stage at the start of the song, but soon Constantine started to come to the fore with his smooth saxophone playing. Constantine’s bridge solo was so musical and lithe, and then bassist Donovan Turner brought the funk big time with his solo.
Constantine is without a doubt a virtuoso player on the saxophone, and his multiple solos throughout the song kept things fresh with novel melodic lines and phrasing. Jazz isn’t exactly the kind of thing to usually go viral in the 2020s, but Constantine and his band’s take on “Just the Two of Us” did just that thanks to the superb musicianship and creative arrangement on display.
You may also like...
- Article Continues Below -
While Constantine is an up-and-coming YouTuber, this particular performance caught a wave online, attracting 2.5 million views on the platform. Fans added comments below the video such as “The sax solo was killing it! Everyone did a fantastic job too” and “That pianist intro was unreal. It should be illegal to be that talented!” Many great musicians have made fresh arrangements of “Just the Two of Us,” with one popular take being the chilled vibes of The Hindley Street Country Club’s cover.
R&B legend Bill Withers penned “Just the Two of Us” with William Salter and Ralph MacDonald. The song was subsequently recorded by Grover Washington Jr., with Withers providing the vocals. We love to bring our readers on The Music Man the greatest classics of yesteryear, and “Just the Two of Us” is definitely a song that deserves a place on that list. Upon its release in February 1981, the song hit number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained there for three weeks. The single also met with critical success, taking out the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in 1982.
If you would like to hear more from this talented saxophonist, you can subscribe to his YouTube Channel for more incredible music. You can also follow him on Instagram.