Bruce Springsteen will still have sax, Nils Lofgren says
Don’t fret, saxophiles.
We don’t know who is going to play it, or how it’s going to be used. But when Bruce Springsteen hits the road this spring, there will still be saxophone in the E Street Band.
E Street Band guitarist Nils Lofgren confirmed this on Wayne Cabot’s WCBS radio show on Friday. Cabot asked Lofgren if the sax would be gone from the group for good.
“Of course not,” replied Lofgren.
“We all know there is no ‘Clarence 2,’,” Lofgren told Cabot. “He’s irreplaceable.”
But Springsteen will still find a way to incorporate saxophone into his shows.
“Ultimately that will be Bruce’s call,” said Lofgren, “and he’ll come up with something that’s right for himself and the band.”
How Springsteen will cope with the loss of Clemons has been one of the biggest question surrounding his upcoming tour, which comes to the Izod Center on April 3 and 4, Madison Square Garden on April 6 and 9, and the Prudential Center on May 2.
Springsteen raised some eyebrows among devoted fans when he announced the lineup of the latest version of the E Street Band. There was no saxophone player listed. Two adjunct members of the group were announced, too — neither of whom play saxophone. There was no sax solo on “We Take Care of Our Own,” the first single from the upcoming “Wrecking Ball.” How fans wondered, could the Boss perform many of his most famous songs without a sax sideman?
It is not unreasonable to think that Springsteen might try to tour sans sax. Long before his death, Clarence Clemons’ role in the E Street Band had been substantially reduced. Springsteen albums of recent vintage do not feature many sax solos or reed parts in general.
Possible theories floated by Boss-watchers: Miami Horns reed man Ed Manion, who has played with Springsteen many times, might step in, or a relative of Clarence Clemons could attempt to fill the shoes of the beloved sax player. Springsteen could also choose to add a horn section to his touring band.
The announced lineup of the E Street Band: Roy Bittan on piano and synthesizer, Nils Lofgren, Stevie Van Zandt and Patti Scialfa on guitar and backing vocals, Garry Tallent on bass, and Max Weinberg on drums. Violinist Soozie Tyrell and organist Charlie Giordano will play with the group, but aren’t listed as official members.