Van Zandt: E-Street Band to decide future soon

[September 23, 2011]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Steve Van Zandt says Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band will get together over the next couple of weeks to discuss how the band will proceed without Clarence Clemons. The saxophonist died in June following complications from a stroke.

Van Zandt said the band, which has periodically toured and recorded with Springsteen since 1972, will never be the same without Clemons. But then he added it wasn't the same after keyboard player Danny Federici died in 2008.

Clemons provided the band with its trademark horn sound apparent on such hits as "Blinded By the Light," "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" and "Jungleland."

"That's a void we will never replace," Van Zandt said.

But the E-Street band guitarist feels they will still play music until the end because he says: "That's what we do."

Van Zandt made the comments while attending "Ocean's Kingdom," in New York, a new ballet with music by Paul McCartney.

[Associated Press; By JOHN CARUCCI]

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