• Reviews

• All
• Music
• DVDs
• Live
• Cinema
• TV
• Books
• Comic Books
• Video Games

Sep 20, 2019 Web Exclusive By Austin Trunick

For almost forty years, Clarence Clemons—“The Big Man,” as he was affectionately known—was the most visible and beloved member of Bruce Springsteen’s famed E Street Band. The saxophonist’s solos provided an emotional engine for so many Springsteen songs, but it was on stage, where his chemistry and rapport with The Boss—he was essentially his right hand man, and occasional foil—made the biggest contribution to their legacy as one of rock’s greatest live acts.

Near the end of his life, Clemons packed his bags and took an extended journey through China. There was a spiritual tilt to this sojourn, and it proved to be a rare place where he could remain anonymous. Clemons invited friend and filmmaker Nick Mead along to chronicle the trip. When the saxophonist unexpectedly died following a stroke years later, the director used the footage as the foundation for this documentary which tells the story of Clemons life and his introspective latter years.

Filled with (mostly) black-and-white interviews with his friends, family, and former bandmates, Clarence Clemons: Who Do I Think I Am? is clearly the product of exhaustive field work. With insight by everyone from Clemons’ nephew and aunt, to musicians Nils Lofgren and Joe Walsh, and even former President Bill Clinton—who played a sax duet with Clemons at his inaugural ball—everyone has flattering things to say about the late artist. What’s interesting, though, is how everyone remembers him fondly for so very different reasons; he meant something different to everyone whose life he touched. In bringing them together, however, the documentary paints an enigmatic portrait of a man grappling to discover his identity beyond his music.

(mvdshop.com/products/clarence-clemons-clarence-clemons-who-do-i-think-i-am-blu-ray-dvd?)