Chris Cheek - Keepers of the Eastern Door / Analog Tone Factory

As European settlers moved west from the Atlantic coast of North America, the Mohawk became known as the “Guardians of the Eastern Door” because of their role as guardians against the invasion of the intruding colonizers.

The celebrated saxophonist and composer Chris Cheek drew great inspiration from “The Kutenai Duck Hunter”, the image by photographer and ethnologist Edward Curtis that adorns the cover of his breathtaking new album

“Keepers Of The Eastern Door”: On his “Analog Tone Factory” label, he presents a remarkable all-star line-up that includes guitar great Bill Frisell, bassist Tony Scherr and drummer Rudy Royston. The quartet plays a wide-ranging

but harmonious repertoire that includes captivating originals and covers from The Beatles to Henry Purcell, from Olivier Messiaen to Henry Mancini.

The four musicians convened at New York's famed Power Station studio in November 2024 to set to music the dichotomy between modernism and tradition that inspired the recording: an essentially live recording in which the band

recorded together in the same room on tape – the core philosophy of Analog Tone Factory. Cheek, one of the finest saxophonists of his generation, is a natural fit for Frisell. Both are melodically focused players and virtuosos who

never feel the need to show off their esteemed abilities. Their direct expression and ability to elicit vivid emotions from any material is brilliantly showcased, creating a cohesive sound even as Purcell's 17th-century art song “Lost Is

My Quiet” segues into the 1960s pop of the Beatles' “From Me To You.” They are ably supported by the sensitivity, flair and unerring instinct of Scherr and Royston. Cheek's three original compositions for the album blend seamlessly

with these masterful classics.

For the ultimate sound experience, the LP, pressed on 180-gram vinyl at GottaGroove, was recorded live to 1/2-inch tape at 30 ips (inch per second) on a custom-built Ampex 351 tube tape recorder by famed engineer James Farber.

The mastering was done in the analog domain by the legendary Bernie Grundman. Analog Tone Factory is a young label that records exclusively on analog tape. It was founded by saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh and pianist and sound

engineer Pete Rende. All ATF releases are available on vinyl, tape, CD and in digital formats. The vinyl releases include a download card for an uncompressed high-resolution download (192 kHz/24 bit).

Title

Side A
1. Kino’s Canoe (Chris Cheek)
2. Smoke Rings (Ned Washington & H. Eugene Gifford)
3. O Sacrum Convivium! (Olivier Messiaen)
4. On A Clear Day (Burton Lane & Alan Jay Lerner)

Side B
5. Lost Is My Quiet (Henry Purcell)
6. From Me To You (John Lennon & Paul McCartney)
7. Keepers Of The Eastern Door (Chris Cheek)
8. Go On, Dear (Chris Cheek)