The Sun Died
| The Sun Died | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1996 | |||
| Recorded | February 1996 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Label | Soul Note | |||
| Ellery Eskelin chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Sun Died is an album by the American saxophonist Ellery Eskelin, released in 1996.[1][2] He supported it with a North American tour.[3]
Production
Recorded in February 1996, the album is a tribute to the American saxophonist Gene Ammons.[4][5] Eskelin was backed by Marc Ribot on guitar and Kenny Wollesen on drums.[6][7]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [8] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [9] |
| MusicHound Jazz: The Essential Album Guide | [10] |
| The News & Observer | [11] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [4] |
The New York Times said that "Eskelin neither gives Ammons pallid worship, nor does he remake him as some sort of revolutionary: he's simply working with durable blues and gospel melodies that fit his sensibility"; the paper's Ben Ratliff later listed The Sun Died as the second best jazz album of 1996.[12][13] The Chicago Sun-Times opined that "Eskelin is equally comfortable getting down with the bruising Ammons sound and cutting oblique slices in the soul-jazz firmament."[14]
The Boston Globe stated that Eskelin "is currently the tenor saxophonist to be noticed on the more risk-taking end of the jazz spectrum."[15] DownBeat noted that Eskelin "achieves a stylistic synthesis you'd expect from Joe Lovano or David Murray".[16] The News & Observer concluded that Ribot "is at once primitive bluesman, a mad scientist with the electronic controls and foot pedals and a fan of staccato funk."[11]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Twistin' the Jug" | |
| 2. | "The People's Choice" | |
| 3. | "Canadian Sunset" | |
| 4. | "Out of It" | |
| 5. | "Seed Sack" | |
| 6. | "Ca' Purange (Jungle Soul)" | |
| 7. | "The Sun Died" | |
| 8. | "Jivin' Around" | |
| 9. | "Precious Memories" | |
| 10. | "The Light" |
References
- ^ "Recommended New Jazz". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. November 14, 1996. p. G4.
- ^ Morris, Al (March 24, 1997). "Jazz series bring Helias Quartet". Daily Hampshire Gazette. p. 7.
- ^ Karoly, Lisa G. (May 4, 1997). "Jazz". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. F6.
- ^ a b The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. Penguin Books. 2008. p. 453.
- ^ Giddins, Gary (2004). Weather Bird: Jazz at the Dawn of Its Second Century. Oxford University Press. p. 158.
- ^ Dollar, Steve (September 11, 1998). "Isle of Influence". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. P6.
- ^ "Kenny's Kuts". Modern Drummer. Vol. 26, no. 1. January 2002. p. 84.
- ^ "The Sun Died Review by Chris Kelsey". AllMusic. Retrieved September 13, 2025.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3. MUZE. p. 310.
- ^ MusicHound Jazz: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 382.
- ^ a b Cordle, Owen (September 28, 1997). "Jazz Reviews". The News & Observer. pp. G1, G3.
- ^ Ratliff, Ben (August 13, 1996). "'Simple' Equaling 'Effective'". The New York Times. p. C11.
- ^ "A Year to Hear America Drumming". The New York Times. January 2, 1997. p. B13.
- ^ Sachs, Lloyd (May 13, 1997). "Eskelin gives Ammons his due". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 2.36.
- ^ Blumenthal, Bob (April 10, 1997). "Escalatin' with Eskelin". Calendar. The Boston Globe. p. 27.
- ^ Cordle, Owen (September 7, 1997). "A new audience — and new action". The News and Observer. DownBeat. p. 11G.