The Star Online: Entertainment: Music

Posted: 26 Jun 2011 01:22 AM PDT

Clarence Clemons, who helped catapult Bruce Springsteen to rock fame, was known as 'The Big Man', a nod to his physical size as well as his stage presence and booming sax notes.

IN the pantheon of great saxophone players, some names are undisputed. Everyone's got to accept John Coltrane, and I'm pretty sure Cannonball Adderley and Coleman Hawkins have more adherents than Kenny G. But while it's a crucial element of most jazz quartets, the saxophone's place in a pop/rock band is not quite so widely accepted.

Sure, there are some famous solos like Raphael Ravenscroft's brilliant theme for Gerry Rafferty's smash hit Baker Street and Michael Brecker's blast on Dire Straits' Your Latest Trick, but by and large, the saxophone is incidental when it comes to popular rock bands.

Last Saturday, we lost Clarence Clemons (1942-2011), arguably the most widely known saxophonist in a pop rock band (other rivals may include Roxy Music's Andy MacKay, Spandau Ballet's Steve Norman and the late LeRoi Brown of the Dave Matthews Band).

This towering player (he was 1.95m) was a fixture in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band for nearly 40 years, and it's a real shame to see him go. Still, I can't but pause and not just reflect, but positively revel in all the good times and great music that Clemons has given us.

Oddly enough it is a curiosity single that has stuck in my mind the most over the years. In 1985, when Springsteen was at the height of his fame with Born In The U.S.A., Clarence recorded an album called Hero. The album's centerpiece was an irresistible duet with Jackson Browne called You're A Friend Of Mine. I remember being 12 and listening to that song over and over again. (Though I might just have been drooling over Browne's girlfriend Daryl Hannah, who also sang backing vocals and featured in the video.)

Clemons was an amazing guy. The son of a Baptist preacher, he won both music and sports scholarships to university and could quite easily have ended up being a professional American football player were it not for a career-ending injury sustained in a car crash. He rebounded and spent most of the 1960s as a guidance counsellor to troubled youths. Eventually the call of music became too strong and it was fortunate that he found such a soulmate in Springsteen.

What stood out about Clemons from a fan's viewpoint was his exuberance and the heart in his sax solos. Always grinning and blowing so hard that every listener could feel it, Clemons was an essential part of the Bruce Springsteen live show. His solos on the epic Born To Run and Junglelands are arguably his finest moments, while Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out was a self-mythologising song that described the formation of his legendary partnership with Springsteen. In fact, all three songs feature prominently on the 1975 album (entitled Born To Run as well) with its iconic cover of Springsteen leaning on Clemons.

Over the years, it's arguable that Springsteen branched out in different directions which lessened his reliance on the E Street band, but Clemons was a hardworking player and his sax graced the records of legends like Aretha Franklin, Joe Cocker, Roy Orbison, Todd Rundgren and more. In fact, the guy has even played on Twisted Sister and Lady Gaga albums!

He also found time to act in a wide range of TV shows and films, including Different Strokes and Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventure. Clemons was also married five times ... goes without saying that he was quite the lady's man.

Even though he was pushing 70, Clemons tried not to slow down and as recently as two months ago was to be found on stage alongside ex-Grateful Dead members Bob Weir and Phil Lesh. His death comes as a blow, but it's time to celebrate not mourn the life of one of pop rock's classy characters.

Martin Vengadesan, a music lover and history buff, combines his two passions in his fortnightly column. If you have any interesting stories you want him to research, do drop him a line.

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Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Ahad, 26 Jun 2011

The Star Online: Entertainment: Music

The Star Online: Entertainment: Music

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