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Susan Alcorn
One of the world’s premiere exponents of her instrument, Susan Alcorn has taken the pedal steel guitar far beyond its traditional role in country music. Having first paid her dues in Texas country & western bands, she began to expand the vocabulary of her instrument through her study of 20th century classical music, visionary jazz, and world musics.
Though known as for her solo work, she has collaborated with numerous artists including Pauline Oliveros, Chris Cutler, the London Improvisors Orchestra, the Glasgow Improvisors Orchestra, Joe McPhee, Ken Vandermark, Nate Wooley, Ingrid Laubrock and Leila Bourdreuil, George Burtm Evan Parker, Michael Formanek, Zane Campbell, and Mary Halvorson among others.
In 2016, she was voted "Best Other Instrument" by the International Critics Poll. In 2017 she received the Baker Artist Award, and in 2018, along with saxophonist Joe McPhee, she was the recipient of the Instant Award in Improvised Music.
The UK Guardian writes, “As an improvisor and composer, Alcorn has proven to be visionary. Her pieces reveal the complexity of her instrument and her musical experience while never straying from a very direct, intense, and personal musical expression.”
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Michael McNeill: Barcode Poetry
by Hrayr Attarian
Pianist Michael McNeill approaches music like an abstract painter. Thus his work is dynamic, multi-hued, and textured. The captivating Barcode Poetry, his fourth album as a leader, finds him expanding his palette with unorthodox instrumentation. His quartet includes, in addition to trumpeter Dave Ballou and percussionist Shelly Purdy, innovative pedal guitarist Susan Alcorn whose passing a few months after this music was recorded adds poignancy. “Timeigrant" opens with McNeill's percussive chords in a dramatic tone. Ballou echoes the ...
Continue ReadingSteve Coleman, Matthew Shipp and RIP Susan Alcorn
by Jerome Wilson
This show features a tribute to the late pedal steel master, Susan Alcorn. It also includes music from Matthew Shipp, Mehmet Ali Sanlikol, and Steve Coleman among others. Playlist Henry Threadgill Sextett “I Can't Wait Till I Get Home" from The Complete Novus & Columbia Recordings of Henry Threadgill & Air (Mosaic) 00:00 Itamar Borochov “Bayat Blues" from Arba (Greenleaf Music) 00:53 Mehmet Ali Sanlikol “Estarabim" from Turkish Hipster (Dunya) 5:48 Host Speaks 13:28 Dizzy Gillespie “Theme from ...
Continue ReadingSusan Alcorn, Damon Locks, Allison Miller, Avishai Cohen and Yuval Drabkin
by Hobart Taylor
New music from Allison Miller, Damon Locks, Avishai Cohen with Yuval Drabkin and remembering pedal steel guitarist Susan Alcorn.Playlist Allen Lowe & the Constant Sorrow Orchestra “Dance of the Occupiers" from Louis Armstrong's America (ESP-Disk) 0:00 Mafalda Minnozzi “ Telefone" from Riofonic (Musica Populare Italiana) 2:51 Jimmy Farace “Hours Fly, Flowers Die" from Hours Fly, Flowers Die (Shifting Paradigm) 7:08 Allison Miller “ Potomac" from Big and Lovely (Royal Potato Family) 15:19 Host Speaks 22:40 Harry Drabkin “Ishfahan" ...
Continue ReadingRemembering Susan Alcorn: Bucking The Trends
by Ian Patterson
All About Jazz is saddened to learn of the passing of Susan Alcorn--pedal steel guitarist extraordinaire. She died on January 31st of natural causes. Perhaps more than any other pedal steel guitarist before her, Alcorn took her instrument into musical terrain not usually associated with it. She played country music for twenty years, but she also brought her instrument to bear on contemporary classical music, folk music, jazz and more experimental music. Born in Allentown, PA ...
Continue ReadingMichael McNeill: Barcode Poetry
by Troy Dostert
Pianist Michael McNeill has pursued a number of projects since his debut release, Passageways, in 2013, each of which has defined his distinctive niche as a musician informed by both avant-garde and conventional jazz. On Barcode Poetry, it is the former impulse that prevails, as McNeill and his esteemed colleagues--Susan Alcorn on pedal steel guitar, Dave Ballou on trumpet, and Shelly Purdy on vibes and percussion--engage in lengthy studies in texture and abstraction rather than straightforward melodic expression.
Continue ReadingSusan Alcorn: Nueva Canción on Pedal Steel
by Lawrence Peryer
Today, the Spotlight shines On the innovative pedal steel guitarist Susan Alcorn.While Susan got her start playing in country & western bands in Texas, she has taken the pedal steel into new and uncharted territories, exploring 20th-century classical music, improvisational jazz, and various world musics.On her latest project, CANTO (Relative Pitch Records), Susan explored Chilean folk music and nueva canción, which translates as “new song" and refers to an intertwined musical and leftist social movement so ...
Continue ReadingSusan Alcorn, Patrick Holmes and Ryan Sawyer: From Union Pool
by Troy Dostert
The inimitable pedal steel guitarist Susan Alcorn seemingly knows no bounds when it comes to the range of textures, tones and timbres she can coax out of her instrument. She is also a consummate improvisational partner, whether working in free or composed contexts. And she has forged a terrific partnership with Relative Pitch Records, which has now released four albums with Alcorn featured prominently--the most recent being her outstanding Pedernal, from 2020. Here she is part of a free-improv trio, ...
Continue ReadingAll About Jazz Top 10 Tracks: March 2021
Source:
All About Jazz
All About Jazz features a free song every day spanning all genres of jazz, and of the 31 tracks featured in March, these ten represent our personal favorites. We also included the top ten reader favorites as indicated by total listens. Musicians and record labels can submit full length MP3s for consideration here. Enjoy! Top Tracks Pedernal Susan Alcorn From: Pedernal 5:47 Do You Still Helen Gillet From: Let It ...
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Jazz this week: Warren Wolf, Susan Alcorn & Frank Rosaly, Bonerama, and more
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St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
While the winter weather may have taken a turn for the worse this week in St. Louis, the jazz and creative music touring activity here is heating up, with three (or four, depending on you count) visiting headliners in town over the next few days, plus an eclectic assortment of shows from local performers. Let's go to the highlights... Wednesday, January 20 Vibraphonist Warren Wolf and his band Wolfpack will begin a four-night engagement continuing through Saturday at Jazz at ...
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Evan Parker with Susan Alcorn and Michael Formanek at The WindUp Space in Bailtimore on April 18th
Source:
Michael Ricci
CREATIVE DIFFERENCES presents EVAN PARKER - solo saxophone plus SUSAN ALCORN - pedal steel guitar MICHAEL FORMANEK - double bass EVAN PARKER - saxophones SUNDAY APRIL 18 AT 6PM @ The WindUp Space 12 W.North Ave Baltimore MD thewindupspace.com 410 244 8855 THIS CONCERT WILL BEGIN AT 6PM. DOORS OPEN AT 5PM Admission is $10 on the door Evan Parker is widely regarding as ...
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Jonatan Piña Duluc
saxophone, tenorPhotos
Music
Suite Para Todos
From: CantoBy Susan Alcorn
Returning to Drown Myself, Finally
From: Ancient Songs of Burlap HeroesBy Susan Alcorn
Pedernal
From: PedernalBy Susan Alcorn
Videos
Susan Alcorn
Instrument: Guitar, steel
Born: April 4, 1953
Died: January 31, 2025
Publicist: Braithwaite & Katz Communications
