When the change was made uptown
And the big man joined the band
From the coastline to the city
All the little pretties raise their hands
It's a much maligned instrument, the saxophone. Too often, especially in the 80s, it was used to add a noodling jazz instrumental break to ramp up the "class" on a soul or AOR hit. Many people, when they think of the sax, think of Careless Whisper, the intro to Baker Street (by Not-Bob-Holness), Zoot from the Muppet Show... or John Thompson's Jazz Club "nice".
Clarence Clemons played a different instrument entirely. In his hands, the saxophone was a weapon. It was a siren. It a scream of rage and triumph, of desperation and joy. That sax was crucial to the sound, and the success, of the E Street Band, and they'll never sound the same without him.
Rest easy, big man. Thanks for the music.
