Remembering Susan Alcorn

This past year, we lost a truly remarkable musician and human being, Susan Alcorn. I was fortunate to spend time making music with her in duo, and together we developed a dialogue that felt both deeply personal and endlessly expansive.

Susan once wrote to me after a run of concerts we played together:

“What an exceptional three days and nights we spent together talking, hanging out, and making music together. Each night was a unique epiphany in its own right, and last night – us and the seven or eight people who showed up – was, for me, one of my favorite improvisations ever. David and I arrived home at 10 pm – we could have done two gigs on the same night!”

Here is the video from that night: Watch the performance on YouTube.

Her words capture not only the spirit of our time together but also her joy in the act of improvisation, her generosity and her unshakable commitment to the music.

For me, those duos were filled with discovery, risk, and deep listening. Susan had a way of creating entire universes with her pedal steel, and I feel honored that I was able to share in that creation.

She will be missed by so many. Her music and her way of approaching sound with such curiosity and fearlessness will continue to resonate.

Photo by: David Lobato