MY THOUGHTS ON THIS RADIO SHOW/ CALVIN SCHWARTZ:

How thrilled I am these past few years to have come into the aura of Clarence Clemons. For me here in Central Jersey and so cognizant of the music scene with all its cascading particulates of special energy (Bruce, E-Street, Clarence and the band) and being in such absorb-able proximity to all the extant energy has been some of the most meaningful collection of months in my life. What I’m saying is that I’ve loved and cherished all my time spent close to the aura of Clarence and being part of his special Jersey music scene.

I fondly remember walking around Asbury Park in late fall last year, bumping into an early Springsteen band affiliate and talking about Clarence. I just asked questions endlessly like the first time Bruce and Clarence met and a door coming unhinged. According to my boardwalk acquaintance, it was a car door that blew off the hinges in a near hurricane.  It doesn’t matter for me. I need everything I can imagine and hear and learn; I’m just like a wide-eyed kid trying to learn everything about Clarence. I’m in total awe of the greatness and depth of his talent. And to think, he started out right here in central Jersey.

Clarence Clemons
courtesy ©DebraRothenberg.com

I consider it one of the more precious synchronistic moments in my life to have met Clarence’s son Nick Clemons in Asbury Park two summers ago after his first annual Asbury Park Comedy Festival. Nick and I were both wearing red Rutgers hats and the rest is history. And now I’m hosting with Tara-Jean Vitale and NJDiscover our radio show featuring Nick Clemons and musical friends of Clarence’s. On our radio show, we’ll  take a retrospective look back at Clarence’s venture in Red Bank, ‘Big Man’s West’ and listen to some poignant music and tell the world about Clarence’s big birthday party at Martell’s Tiki Bar in Point Pleasant on January 11^th 2014 which is a reunion celebration.

This is going to be one memorable incredible radio show. Nick Clemons and great musicians all gathered for an historic hour here in central Jersey about 3 miles from Clarence’s first home here in Jersey. How perfect this all is; and its two weeks and a day from Christmas adding to the ambiance and spirit of NJ Discover’s radio show.  Looking forward to Tuesday.

Calvin Schwartz   December 6^th    9:44 PM     39 degrees outside my office window in central Jersey.

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