Clarence Clemons passed away last week. With his passing passed the saxophone solo.
Long ago the sax gave way to the guitar as the solo instrument of choice in rock n roll but the saxophone was one of the great vestiges of the jazz influence.
What would Born To Run be without Clarence? I would be greatly diminished, and would not be Born To Run. In fact the Born To Run album - the album that made Bruce Springsteen - would not be without Clarence Clemons. He emphasized the raw passion of She's The One. He captured the hopefulness, and romance of Thunder Road. Throughout the body of work of Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band Clarence Clemons' saxophone was the punctuation.
For most, the emotion of rock and roll is captured by the solo. The guitar lick was base built from the blues, and the solo was the free hand of jazz improvisation. Rock and roll history is replete with guitar impresarios; Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry, Duane Eddy, Eddie Van Halen, Peter Frampton, Eric Clapton are a few notables. The list of great rock saxophonists is shorter; Clarence Clemons.
