Clarence Clemons, the saxophonist in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band who died yesterday from complications of a stroke, was a rarity among rock and roll sidemen - he was a star in his own right. Springsteen allowed him to become a star, because he was generous in sharing the limelight and he knew that Clemons had a tremendous talent that went far beyond his place in a backup band. He was the heart and soul of Springsteen's music. His forceful solos and bright sound gave the Boss's music a sense of gravity no other saxophone player could replicate in any other band. As much as I love Bob Seger, his own sax man, Alto Reed, simply couldn't equal Clemons in breadth and depth. His own solos on Seger's records, great as they are, can only be heard as desperate attempts to match Clemons's own playing.
Can you imagine Springsteen's "Thunder Road" without the soulful sax line that sends the song in to the fadeout? Or the hint of jazz that Clemons gave to "Dancing In the Dark" or "Spirit In the Night?" Clemons was always happy to spread his talent across the spectrum of popular music with his appearances on other people's records, most notably on Aretha Franklin's "Freeway of Love," and he played with just about everyone from Greg Lake to Lady Gaga. He had a presence, musically and figuratively, that could fill up a room. He wasn't called the Big Man for nothing.
The next time you listen to a Springsteen record, and a you feel a sense of warmth in the music, pay attention, really pay attention, to Clemons's saxophone. And kid, you'll get the picture. R.I.P. :-(
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