It takes five
Three days before the first public appearance of the E Street Band sans Clarence Clemons (they will appear on the Grammy show this Sunday... don't miss it!), the veil was lifted for how Bruce intends to carry on the legendary band. The answer is: add lots of people. That's right, no less than five horn players will accompany the E Street Band. In other words, a full-blown horn section. The saxophone will be handled by not one but two people: Jake Clemons - Clarence's very talented nephew - and Ed Manion, who is a long-time member of Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes and who was also part of the Seeger Sessions Band. The other horn players are trumpet player Curt Ramm, who was part of the lineup during the late part of the Working on a Dream Tour in 2009, trumpet player Barry Danielian, and trombonist Clark Gayton. Two other repeats from the Working on a Dream Tour will be singers Cindy Mizelle and Curtis King. If Patti Scialfa will be present on the tour, that's a total of 16 people or about as many as the Seeger Sessions Band.
While some may worry about what this means to the sound and the visual appearance of the band, most fans will probably be happy to see a horn section back on stage for the first time since the Tunnel of Love Express Tour in 1988 (which incidentally also included Ed Manion). The big question is how it will feel to have Jake Clemons and Ed Manion play Clarence's signature solos and what the horn section's presence on stage will do to fill the enormous void left behind by the Big Man. As impossible as that is, the choices Bruce made are sane.
When it comes to Ed Manion, he's anything but a colorless hired hand. As anyone who's experienced the Asbury Jukes horns will know, he's a first-rate showman and will fit perfectly in the E Street Band chemistry. And to still have the Big Man's holy genes included in the band, in the shape of Jake Clemons, is a poignant reminder that the E Street Band is more than just a bunch of good musicians. It's a family and a brotherhood that doesn't die just because its members do.
So with that big question answered, the next piece in the puzzle will be laid when this XXL version of the E Street Band will hit the Staples Center stage on Sunday for the big Grammy Awards performance. It will be magnificent!