Early Impressions
I first became aware of Clarence Clemons through MTV as a teenager. First came the videos from Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA album, the one that made him a household name. The slow burn of a solo at the end of “Dancing in the Dark.” The bar band camaraderie of “Glory Days.” Then we got “You're a Friend of Mine,” a feel-good trio of Clarence, Jackson Browne and Daryl Hannah, which modeled what I wanted my own circle of friends to look like. And the live video of “Rosalita” with a powerful life force coming out of the Big Man's horn along with his spinning body language.
My college-aged mind was blown when that familiar-looking guy in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure turned out to be The Big Man, in the role of one of the three most important people in the world.
I felt drawn to the saxophone after I graduated college, and I bought a used alto sax from a friend of the family and took some lessons. At the time, I was in a cover band as a keyboardist and guitarist, but felt I could add a dimension with sax riffs on songs like “You May Be Right” and “Who Can It Be Now?” I don't remember connecting the experience to Clarence yet at that time.
A Deeper Connection
It was in my mid-20s in the 90s when I was a working musician that my connection to the music of Clarence Clemons deepened. I was playing bars all over New Jersey in Jim Kilby's band. I kept late nights hours on long drives. Tracy, one of our most devoted fans, lent me a pair of Bruce Springsteen cassettes for two reasons: to help me deepen my understanding of the New Jersey music universe I was operating in, and also to help me stay alert on those drives in the wee hours. Those tapes were Born to Run and Darkness on the Edge of Town. Through Clarence's playing on those records, I tapped into emotions I couldn't put into words (I'm still trying…) - unbridled joy, pride, defiance, seduction, reflection, sorrow, regret.
All this led to my last-minute purchase of my first Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band ticket for the '99 reunion homestand at the Meadowlands Arena. A packed house cheered the loudest for Clarence with his solos and his “last but not least” introduction from the Boss. I was right there with them. And the brotherly relationship between Bruce and Clarence onstage communicated pure joy to us in the audience.
I'd take my wife Amy to see Bruce & the E Street Band on some more occasions - the Rising tour, the Magic tour and the Working on a Dream tour. By that last one, Clarence sat on a throne and held court with his horn. In a Sixty Minutes piece, he let us know of the pain and disability he was fighting through to keep doing what he loved.
In June of 2011 I learned that Clarence had a massive stroke, a condition I was all too familiar with in my extended family. I wished for a recovery, but it was not to be. A week later, he was gone, leaving behind an immortal body of work, great memories of joy and community at times when we concertgoers really needed it.
Succession, Never Replacement
I had seen pictures and videos of Clarence's nephew Jake sitting in with him, and I was delighted that Clarence was passing his brand of rock sax to the next generation. Over the decades, I had crossed paths with Clarence's son Nick a few times on the local scene and was impressed with Nick's powerful vocals and universal, relatable messages. Nick had picked up a love of music, but took it in his own direction. After Clarence's passing I got to know of his son Jarod's lead guitar chops and tender, vulnerable vocal style. I was pleased to learn that Jarod will play a featured set in this year's Sea, Hear, Now festival in Asbury Park.
When I learned that Jake would carry on the E Street Band's sax tradition, I was comforted that the role would stay in the family. I was moved to hear that Jake would play his uncle's horns. I understood the tightrope Jake and Bruce would have to walk in order to communicate that Clarence was irreplaceable, that Jake is a successor, not a substitute. Over the years, I've seen the relationship evolve. On the 2016 River tour, the relationship seemed polite and mutually respectful, sharing reverence for Clarence's memory. By the 2023 tour, their onstage relationship became more like uncle/nephew. That appears to have deepened on this most recent Land of Hope and Dreams tour. It echoes that brotherly relationship between Bruce and Clarence without trying to replicate it.
And as with Nick and Jarod, Jake's solo records display a style and feel all his own, even while he faithfully plays Clarence's solos note-for-note in the context of the E Street Band. The current generation of Clemons musicians carry something important and unique into the future - their own voices, their own perspectives.
An Indie Music Community Comes Together
During the pandemic I developed a skill of performing live, online, which put me in the right virtual place at the right time to offer a virtual performance and a video premiere for the first virtual version of the Big Man's Bash, a benefit concert that would take place annually marking Clarence's birthday. This eventually led to my performing an acoustic set at the past few in-person bashes.
Two of the friends I made on this journey led to collaborations on my current album Asbury Heart. And Nick gave a featured performance at my record launch concert. Soon after that, my band became the Nick Clemons Band for a night.
Tonight, June 18, we'll celebrate the Big Man's life and musical legacy on this 15th anniversary of his passing. It takes place at Brielle House Bar & Grill in Brielle, NJ, starting at 6:30 PM. My band Jason Didner and the GSPs will perform a song that tells the story of how Clarence and then-future bandmate Garry Tallent met. Garry was a white teenaged musician who crossed Asbury Park's railroad tracks to play in soul bands like Little Melvin and the Invaders - Clarence's band. I was moved by this story to write “Come Across the Tracks.”
It's a benefit show that supports one of Clarence's favorite nonprofits - The Boys & Girls Club of Monmouth County. Nick Clemons, Carol Lester, ROSTAFA and others will pay musical tributes to the Big Man. So, let's raise a Big Man's Brew, support a worthy cause and rock out for Clarence.
May his memory be a blessing. May the music keep him close. 🎷💖