Photograph titled "He Lets Her Steer While He Gets Her Ear" by an unknown photographer, c. 1907
Saxophonist and E Street Band veteran Clarence Clemons led a very interesting life. He was nearly an NFL lineman. He played with some of the biggest and most interesting musicians in the business - Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Todd Rundgren, Janis Ian, Lady Gaga - the list goes on and on. He had a small part on HBO's The Wire. He had a larger-than-life persona that was both cool and lovable, and he played a big part in the E Street Band's memorable concerts. Most people who saw Springsteen in concert will remember his introduction of Clarence Clemons to the audience as one of the show's best moments - I'm still kicking myself for never having had the opportunity to see that band play together.
The truth is that I ignored Springsteen's music altogether until very recently. And a large part of my aversion was that I was afraid of Clarence Clemons. Or, more accurately, I am afraid of saxophone solos. Or, even more accurately, I hate saxophone solos. Over the past few months, though, as I've gradually accumulated Springsteen's albums, I've noticed something. My allergy to saxophone is not triggered by Clemons' playing - his sax solos have a "singing" quality to it that emphasizes the melody over the voice of the instrument itself to the point that it doesn't even register to me in the same way. For now, pretty much any other sax solo causes me to go into a conniption fit, but I think that long-term exposure to Clarence Clemons' playing may heal me eventually. Until then, I'll listen to songs that have great Clemons solos, like the one from the great instrumental break in the middle of "The Promised Land" from Darkness on the Edge of Town.
"The Promised Land" by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
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