When Jake Clemons took the seemingly impossible gig of replacing the mythic Clarence Clemons as saxophonist for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, he did more than fill the shoes his late uncle left to him — he saved the band. Not just because he could nail The Big Man’s iconic solos in concert staples like “Thunder Road” and “Badlands” (and even on the occasional performance of “Jungleland”), and not just because he resembled his larger-than-life uncle in stature, but because he quickly established his own identity and his own spiritual presence in a band revered for making deep connections. Playing foil to Springsteen’s onstage shenanigans with natural charisma and a commanding musicality to match his imposing frame, the younger Clemons gave the band a youthful shot of life that — embraced by the loyal tramps of the E Street Nation — helped fuel some of the most legendary performances of an almost ageless Springsteen’s career. A hired gun or simple sideman never would have made it work. An apprentice of Springsteen’s in the showmanship department and a singer-songwriter in his own right, Clemons leads his own outfit — The Jake Clemons Band, a modern funk, R&B ensemble that blazes through pop-tinged originals and rocked-out rave-ups off Clemons’ 2017 full-length solo debut Fear & Love. ADAM GOLD
Jake Clemons
