A previous post discussed the news that Eddie Manion will be playing saxophone along with Jake Clemons on the upcoming tour with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. It will be interesting to see how the two trade off on the solos, how often they play together, and whether they fill different parts on different nights.
Although nobody can replace Clarence Clemons, the previous post showed how Manion is able to tackle the epic “Jungleland” solo. If you are curious about Jake Clemons’s chops, here is his take on “Jungleland.” Note, though, that the guy who kind of looks like Bruce is not Bruce but Robert Philippi of the European cover band BruceBand. (Video starts at sax solo.)
Jake Clemons has the music in his blood, being the nephew of Clarence Clemons. Springsteen’s decision to include both the experienced Manion and the talented young Clemons seems like an inspired choice. But then again, the Boss usually does not let down his fans. And the inclusion of Jake Clemons, and Jake’s decision to join the band, seem consistent with the message of the new single, “We Take Care of Our Own.” 29 July 2012 Update: Jake Clemons played “Jungleland” with the E Street Band in Sweden last night.
What do you think of the addition of Jake Clemons to the band? Leave your two cents in the comments.
Yesterday, in The Record, Southside Johnny talked about his friendship with Bruce Springsteen, adding, “He’s stealing my saxophone players to replace Clarence, so we steal from each other’s bands occasionally.” Southside did not mention a saxophone player by name — and he did use the plural “players” unless that was a misprint. But one may assume that the theft at least includes Eddie “Kingfish” Manion. Manion played with Springsteen as part of The Sessions Band when Springsteen was touring to promote The Seeger Sessions. In addition to being an original member of Southside’s Asbury Jukes, Manion also played with The Miami Horns and Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul. He also was part of the backing horns when Springsteen played the Super Bowl halftime in 2009, and he played baritone sax with the E Street Band in the Carousel House video shoot for songs from The Promise in December 2010. So, considering the long relationship, the rumor seems like it could be true. [Feb. 9, 2012 Update: As noted below, it has been confirmed now that Manion will be playing saxophone on the upcoming tour — with another saxophonist.
Assuming Manion is part of the tour, it is unclear whether Manion will be a full-fledged permanent member of the E Street Band or whether he is just filling in for the upcoming tour or whether he will be one part of a larger horn section. Of course, Southside’s comment is not official and Springsteen has not made any announcements yet. Nobody can replace Clarence and those are some mighty big shoes to fill, but the music must go on. Welcome, Kingfish.
Update: Blogness on the Edge of Town speculates on the addition of a horn section while noting that we may not know the makeup of the touring band until the first rehearsal show.
Update 2 (Feb. 9, 2012): Bruce Springsteen’s website has now confirmed that Eddie Manion will be playing saxophone on the new tour along with another saxophonist, Jake Clemons — the nephew of Clarence. The tour will also feature singers Cindy Mizelle and Curtis King, trombonist Clark Gayton, and trumpeters Curt Ramm and Barry Danielian.
While recently talking to my mom on the phone, she blurted out, “I really like that Lady Gaga.” After recovering from the surprise that my mom even had heard of Lady Gaga, I listened to my mom’s explanation. My mom had seen Lady Gaga on several talk shows and was impressed with her as a person and her devotion to her fans, i.e., Little Monsters.
Regular readers of Chimesfreedom have probably already figured out that we are fans of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Considering some of the music featured in this blog so far, one might think we turn up our nose at current popular music. But while E Street Band member Clarence Clemons has been in the news, we also have been listening to some of Clemons’s recent work on Lady Gaga’s new album, Born This Way.
Last week, Lady Gaga released a new video for “Edge of Glory,” and it is great to see Clemons playing in the video. We are excited that Lady Gaga gave Clemons a new fan base, and we are touched that Lady Gaga and her Little Monsters made a sincere video for the ailing Big Man before he passed away.
I recently suggested “Edge of Glory” to a musician friend who is a Springsteen fan, but he immediately rejected the song without listening to it because it was by Lady Gaga. A number of people have written nasty comments under the video on YouTube too. But sometimes popular music is popular for a reason. Ever since I first heard Lady Gaga and Clarence Clemons perform “Edge of Glory” on American Idol, I have had the song on repeat play on my iPod. It is an excellent song, reminding us how much we will miss Clemons. While I have enjoyed Lady Gaga’s music in the past, her work with Clarence Clemons and the thoughtfulness of the get-well video increased my respect for her. I guess sometimes one’s 70+ year-old mom knows more than one’s hip young friends.
Last night, I was working late when the news broke about Clarence Clemons passing away. I already had a Clemons-related post about his most recent work ready to run but instead pushed that post back to pay tribute to the Big Man with the video of “Paradise by the C,” one of the rare instrumental songs in the Springsteen canon. I was going to leave it at that, as there are several excellent articles out there about Clemons, but I will share one memory. (The other Clemons-related post will run in a few days).
After I left work last night, I flipped around the New York radio stations to hear some songs by the E Street Band, finally hitting on one playing a block of songs that featured Clemons. When I got home and parked my car, I sat in the car with the engine off, listening to the radio play “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” and “Backstreets.” But when the radio station began playing “Jungleland,” I had to turn it off because I could not hear that song so close to the news of the Big Man’s passing.
Like many people, “Jungleland” is one of the first things I think of when I think of Clemons. It is off Born to Run, my favorite album. The Born to Run LP is one of the few physical albums from my youth that I still own due to space limitations as I converted to CDs and then MP3s. Hopefully, my sister is not reading this post, as I obtained the album pictured at the top when I borrowed it from her more than three decades ago. The album has great music and that iconic cover of Bruce and Clarence that is a photo of human connection. As Springsteen once noted, “When you open [the album cover] up and see Clarence and me together, the album begins to work its magic.”
Parody is flattery.
The album has been there for me through many periods of my life. While I was in school, I listened to “Born to Run” right before every exam to psych myself up. There were times when I was angry and played “Thunder Road” just to sing along to the line, “it’s a town full of losers, I’m pulling out of here to win.” If you cut me open and look at my soul, you will see every song from Born to Run embedded in there somewhere.
But the reason “Jungleland” stands out for me is because of a concert at Richfield Coliseum outside Cleveland in the early 1980s. It was the first large concert I ever attended, and it would ruin all future non-Springsteen concerts because nothing would ever come close. That night, I was in a transition period of my life from school to a new job, and I was unsure what lay ahead for me. Inside the coliseum, though, I was blown away by the E Street Band, and the moment that capped it all was the sax solo during “Jungleland.” As Clemons blew his horn, the lights hit the crowd and thousands of people stood in unison pumping their fists in time with the music. I know it is cliche and corny, but that one moment signifies the power of rock and roll to me, with a community of people bonding at once, feeling hope, resignation, fear, and defiance all together in our lives. My words cannot capture what I felt then or what I still feel thinking about those minutes. But that is the reason we need music — to capture those feelings we cannot describe in words.
And so, last night, I could not listen to “Jungleland,” knowing that the man who played the saxophone that night was now dead. Unfortunately, I have lost track of the close friends who were with me at the concert that night. Yet, Clemons and the band have stayed with me through the years. I had never met Clemons and did not know him personally, so it may be foolish to mourn someone others would label “a stranger” when there are so many good people who die every day. But my connection to Clemons is a bond with the human community where even in our differences, we remain connected. At least it was for that July night in Ohio, many years ago. And I still felt that connection with the man who died last night. Thank you Clarence.
Rest in peace, Clarence Clemons, and thanks for being a part of many of the best music experiences of my life. Somewhere, the Big Man and Danny Federici are playing together again, perhaps working on their joyous solos for “Paradise by the C.”
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