Karen Hudson
Jim Petrie and I are so sad to lose a good friend and talent we have had the privilege to work with over the past two years, Suzanne Davenport—in which the 3 of us played classic country from the 40's-70's, some Irish fiddle tunes, and tunes of mine in which Suzanne Davenport really shined!
I saw her first play at Jalopy--she "sat in" with Bobtown, and in her classic style, arrived on scooter--hopped up on stage and jammed out with them on a tune. I loved her spirit and personal style. We met afterward, and decided that someday we should work together—she laughed! "Really? I didn't even play a whole song! I just jumped on stage!"
We were so fortunate to practice at her conservatory-like music room in Harlem. When we got there, she would make the coffee (espresso) her special way--adding some nice frothy milk on top, shaped like a Tapir! She loved playing at the Rodeo Bar with my band, and equally loved the the Irish bar gigs with Karen Hudson River Trio, especially at An Beal Bocht Cafe. She was fearless, loving and creative through and through.
She was a true artist and a good friend! I will miss having her jovial presence at my left side, and hearing her and Jim's trading off of parts, making real, good, honest music together~ In this video we made for NPR's Tiny Desk concert, our inside joke was that the dustbunnies on my socks were courtesy Suzanne Davenport! She loved pointing that out with a big laugh. We had a lot of fun, were really just starting to get to know eachother on a deeper level, and we/I will truly miss her. ~Karen Hudson