Pre-Order Sale!
Official Release Date is May 23, 2025. Pre-Orders will be the first to ship.
International shipping available.
Keepers Of The Eastern Door
Chris Cheek, Bill Frisell, Tony Scherr, Rudy Royston
Compact Disc
Official Release Date is May 23, 2025. Pre-Orders will be the first to ship!
The analog to digital transfer for our Compact Discs is made from the master tape by Bernie Grundman on a JCF Latte converter, directly at 44.1/24. This method requires a dedicated pass from the tape, in real time. It eschews downsampling and we think it sounds better. The dithering from 24 bits to 16 bits is done through a Lavry 3000S. We also prefer using this older but great sounding external processor to software solutions.
Track Listing:
1. Kino’s Canoe (Chris Cheek) 3:34
2. Smoke Rings (Ned Washington & H. Eugene Gifford) 4:30
3. O Sacrum Convivium! (Olivier Messiaen) 6:49
4. On A Clear Day (Burton Lane & Alan Jay Lerner) 4:14
5. Lost Is My Quiet (Henry Purcell) 7:21
6. From Me To You (John Lennon & Paul McCartney) 5:05
7. Keepers Of The Eastern Door (Chris Cheek) 4:45
8. Go On, Dear (Chris Cheek) 5:18
Total Time: 41:37
About Keepers Of The Eastern Door
Acclaimed Saxophonist/Composer Chris Cheek finds harmony with nature on Keepers of the Eastern Door. Featuring an All-Star quartet with Bill Frisell, Tony Scherr and Rudy Royston, the album was recorded by James Farber at Power Station, direct to analog tape and mastered by Bernie Grundman. The all analog vinyl was cut by Bernie Grundman and pressed at Gotta Groove.
Read Full Press Release
As European settlers moved westward from the Atlantic coast of North America, the Mohawk people – the easternmost tribe of the Iroquois Confederacy – became known as “Keepers of the Eastern Door” for their role as guardians against invasion from the encroaching colonizers.
The outcome of that battle may seem inevitable from the historical perspective, but the tension at its heart, between those who respect and live in harmony with the land and those who view the Earth from a more rapacious perspective, persists. In “The Kutenai Duck Hunter,” the image by photographer and ethnologist Edward Curtis that graces the cover of his breathtaking new album, Keepers of the Eastern Door, acclaimed saxophonist and composer Chris Cheek sees those two parallel mindsets represented in the reflection of a canoe in the river as its occupant looks to the horizon – and an uncertain future.
These ideas lend richness and depth to Cheek’s stunning music throughout Keepers of the Eastern Door, out May 23, 2025 via Analog Tone Factory. The album features a remarkable all-star quartet, with Cheek joined by revered guitarist Bill Frisell, bassist Tony Scherr, and drummer Rudy Royston for a wide-ranging but harmonious repertoire including captivating originals and covers by everyone from The Beatles to Henry Purcell, Olivier Messiaen to Henry Mancini.
The idea for Keepers of the Eastern Door was born when Cheek was fascinated by another Curtis photograph, featuring a line of Native Americans on horseback dwarfed by the rock formations of Arizona’s Canyon de Chelly, at the St. Louis Art Museum. Cheek had grown up in the city, enjoying nature with his family. He realized that the same year that the sepia-tinged photo had been taken, the building in which he was viewing it had been built for the 1904 World’s Fair, aka the Louisiana Purchase Exposition – a celebration of the massive land acquisition that doubled the size of the United States.
“Having spent a lot of time in the outdoors growing up and then having lived in Boston and New York for many years, I found a schism between the natural world and the highly industrialized society that we live in,” Cheek says. “I started thinking about Keepers of the Eastern Door as a metaphor for people that try to preserve a way of life based on traditional values that are less materialistic and more respectful of our surroundings.”
These concepts were already stirring when Cheek was approached by fellow saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh and pianist/recording engineer Pete Rende, who had launched their new analog-focused label Analog Tone Factory in 2024 with Sabbagh’s Heart. Sabbagh and Rende suggested the idea of recording with Frisell, with whom Cheek shared a bit of history dating back to his years playing with the legendary drummer Paul Motian.
“When I discovered Bill as a student at Berklee,” Cheek recalls, “his sound and approach were so different that it changed how we heard and conceived of music. I still love Bill for how musical and honest he is. Everything he plays is an idea, never a lick or a riff. I think that's what makes his playing so fascinating and engaging.”
With Frisell in mind Cheek invited Scherr and Royston to complete the line-up for the session. Both share storied histories with the guitarist, together and as members of two of Frisell’s longstanding trios – Scherr with drummer Kenny Wollesen, Royston with bassist Thomas Morgan. “There's been a long tradition of horn players working with famous rhythm sections,” Cheek points out. “I wanted to play with people that were comfortable together, musically and personally, so there would be an immediate chemistry.”
Frisell, who met Cheek many years ago on a gig with Paul Motian, says,"There was a sound happening. I knew then that we had to play more. We did. And now, years later, it’s been wonderful to reconnect with him and two of my closest musical brothers. Tony Scherr and Rudy Royston. Thanks so much to Chris for bringing us all together with this beautiful music."
The quartet convened at New York’s famed Power Station studio last November, with an approach suggesting the audiophile version of the modernist/traditional dichotomy that inspired the recording: an essentially live recording, with the band together in one room recording to analog tape, the philosophy behind Analog Tone Factory. For ultimate fidelity, the album was recorded live to two track on 1/2 inch tape at 30 ips on a custom tube Ampex 351 tape recorder, by famed engineer James Farber. It was mastered in the analog domain by the legendary Bernie Grundman.
“I think it's a great idea,” Cheek says. “Recording to tape just sounds so much better; there's a warmth and a depth that you just don't get in a purely digital realm. I really admire Jerome and Pete for undertaking this.”
One of the master saxophonists of his generation, Cheek pairs strikingly with Frisell throughout Keepers of the Eastern Door. Both are melodically focused players and virtuosos who never feel the need to display their estimable chops. Their directness of expression and ability to coax vivid emotions from any material is brilliantly showcased, creating a cohesive sound even as Purcell’s 17th century art song “Lost Is My Quiet” leads into the ‘60s pop of The Beatles’ “From Me To You.” They’re ably supported by the sensitivity, deftness of touch and infallible instincts of Scherr and Royston.
Cheek’s three original compositions for the album sit comfortably alongside these masterful classics. In keeping with the “mirrored realities” notion of the album’s theme, for opener “Kino’s Canoe” the saxophonist made use of a technique that he has drawn from in the past: mirroring the melody and harmony of a popular song, then using that reversed material as the leaping off point for a new work built on unexpected phrases. An equally intriguing process rests underneath “Go On, Dear,” for which Cheek wrote a new melody based on the lyrics of a familiar standard.
Without being explicit, the music on Keepers of the Eastern Door beautifully captures a spiritual communion with the natural world and the possibility of a life in harmony with the planet that surrounds and nurtures us. “I'm reluctant to use the term spiritual,” Cheek concludes, “but that's the term often used to describe a realm that exists but that we can't see or quantify.” Native and traditional cultures acknowledge that dimension of reality that we've lost touch with today. Seeing that figure sitting in the canoe suggests to me a parallel world that supports the one that we can put our finger on, but is hard to talk about.”
Keepers Of The Eastern Recording Session
Production Credits
Recorded by James Farber at Power Station, New York, live to 1/2 inch two track analog tape on a custom tube Ampex 351 at 30 ips, November 8-9, 2024
Assistant Engineers: Pete Rende, Matthew Soares, Omisha Chaitanya
Mastered by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Hollywood
Master lacquer cut by Bernie Grundman directly from the analog tape
Produced by Chris Cheek, Jerome Sabbagh & Pete Rende
Executive Producers: Philipe Berman, Ana Mighty Sound
Graphic Design: Element-s/Jérôme Witz
Photos by Edward S. Curtis
Session & Band Photo by Adrien H. Tillmann
Analog Tone Factory would like to thank John Chester, Dave Dintenfass, James Farber, Bernie Grundman, Philipe Berman, François Saint-Gérand, David Smith, the Curtis Legacy Foundation, John & Coleen Graybill and Julie Cardozo.
Special Thanks to Ana Mighty Sound for supporting Analog Tone Factory from the very beginning, and for continuing to do so.
Pre-Order Sale!
Official Release Date is May 23, 2025. Pre-Orders will be the first to ship.
Keepers Of The Eastern Door
Chris Cheek, Bill Frisell, Tony Scherr, Rudy Royston
Compact Disc
The analog to digital transfer for our Compact Discs is made from the master tape by Bernie Grundman on a JCF Latte converter, directly at 44.1/24. This method requires a dedicated pass from the tape, in real time. It eschews downsampling and we think it sounds better. The dithering from 24 bits to 16 bits is done through a Lavry 3000S. We also prefer using this older but great sounding external processor to software solutions.
International shipping available.
Track Listing:
1. Kino’s Canoe (Chris Cheek) 3:34
2. Smoke Rings (Ned Washington & H. Eugene Gifford) 4:30
3. O Sacrum Convivium! (Olivier Messiaen) 6:49
4. On A Clear Day (Burton Lane & Alan Jay Lerner) 4:14
5. Lost Is My Quiet (Henry Purcell) 7:21
6. From Me To You (John Lennon & Paul McCartney) 5:05
7. Keepers Of The Eastern Door (Chris Cheek) 4:45
8. Go On, Dear (Chris Cheek) 5:18
Total Time: 41:37
About Keepers Of The Eastern Door
Acclaimed Saxophonist/Composer Chris Cheek finds harmony with nature on Keepers of the Eastern Door. Featuring an All-Star quartet with Bill Frisell, Tony Scherr and Rudy Royston, the album was recorded by James Farber at Power Station, direct to analog tape and mastered by Bernie Grundman. The all analog vinyl was cut by Bernie Grundman and pressed at Gotta Groove.
Read Full Press Release
As European settlers moved westward from the Atlantic coast of North America, the Mohawk people – the easternmost tribe of the Iroquois Confederacy – became known as “Keepers of the Eastern Door” for their role as guardians against invasion from the encroaching colonizers.
The outcome of that battle may seem inevitable from the historical perspective, but the tension at its heart, between those who respect and live in harmony with the land and those who view the Earth from a more rapacious perspective, persists. In “The Kutenai Duck Hunter,” the image by photographer and ethnologist Edward Curtis that graces the cover of his breathtaking new album, Keepers of the Eastern Door, acclaimed saxophonist and composer Chris Cheek sees those two parallel mindsets represented in the reflection of a canoe in the river as its occupant looks to the horizon – and an uncertain future.
These ideas lend richness and depth to Cheek’s stunning music throughout Keepers of the Eastern Door, out May 23, 2025 via Analog Tone Factory. The album features a remarkable all-star quartet, with Cheek joined by revered guitarist Bill Frisell, bassist Tony Scherr, and drummer Rudy Royston for a wide-ranging but harmonious repertoire including captivating originals and covers by everyone from The Beatles to Henry Purcell, Olivier Messiaen to Henry Mancini.
The idea for Keepers of the Eastern Door was born when Cheek was fascinated by another Curtis photograph, featuring a line of Native Americans on horseback dwarfed by the rock formations of Arizona’s Canyon de Chelly, at the St. Louis Art Museum. Cheek had grown up in the city, enjoying nature with his family. He realized that the same year that the sepia-tinged photo had been taken, the building in which he was viewing it had been built for the 1904 World’s Fair, aka the Louisiana Purchase Exposition – a celebration of the massive land acquisition that doubled the size of the United States.
“Having spent a lot of time in the outdoors growing up and then having lived in Boston and New York for many years, I found a schism between the natural world and the highly industrialized society that we live in,” Cheek says. “I started thinking about
Keepers of the Eastern Door as a metaphor for people that try to preserve a way of life based on traditional values that are less materialistic and more respectful of our surroundings.”
These concepts were already stirring when Cheek was approached by fellow saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh and pianist/recording engineer Pete Rende, who had launched their new analog-focused label Analog Tone Factory in 2024 with Sabbagh’s Heart. Sabbagh and Rende suggested the idea of recording with Frisell, with whom Cheek shared a bit of history dating back to his years playing with the legendary drummer Paul Motian.
“When I discovered Bill as a student at Berklee,” Cheek recalls, “his sound and approach were so different that it changed how we heard and conceived of music. I still love Bill for how musical and honest he is. Everything he plays is an idea, never a lick or a riff. I think that's what makes his playing so fascinating and engaging.”
With Frisell in mind Cheek invited Scherr and Royston to complete the line-up for the session. Both share storied histories with the guitarist, together and as members of two of Frisell’s longstanding trios – Scherr with drummer Kenny Wollesen, Royston with bassist Thomas Morgan. “There's been a long tradition of horn players working with famous rhythm sections,” Cheek points out. “I wanted to play with people that were comfortable together, musically and personally, so there would be an immediate chemistry.”
Frisell, who met Cheek many years ago on a gig with Paul Motian, says,"There was a sound happening. I knew then that we had to play more. We did. And now, years later, it’s been wonderful to reconnect with him and two of my closest musical brothers. Tony Scherr and Rudy Royston. Thanks so much to Chris for bringing us all together with this beautiful music."
The quartet convened at New York’s famed Power Station studio last November, with an approach suggesting the audiophile version of the modernist/traditional dichotomy that inspired the recording: an essentially live recording, with the band together in one room recording to analog tape, the philosophy behind Analog Tone Factory. For ultimate fidelity, the album was recorded live to two track on 1/2 inch tape at 30 ips on a custom tube Ampex 351 tape recorder, by famed engineer James Farber. It was mastered in the analog domain by the legendary Bernie Grundman.
“I think it's a great idea,” Cheek says. “Recording to tape just sounds so much better; there's a warmth and a depth that you just don't get in a purely digital realm. I really admire Jerome and Pete for undertaking this.”
One of the master saxophonists of his generation, Cheek pairs strikingly with Frisell throughout Keepers of the Eastern Door. Both are melodically focused players and virtuosos who never feel the need to display their estimable chops. Their directness of expression and ability to coax vivid emotions from any material is brilliantly showcased, creating a cohesive sound even as Purcell’s 17th century art song “Lost Is My Quiet” leads into the ‘60s pop of The Beatles’ “From Me To You.” They’re ably supported by the sensitivity, deftness of touch and infallible instincts of Scherr and Royston.
Cheek’s three original compositions for the album sit comfortably alongside these masterful classics. In keeping with the “mirrored realities” notion of the album’s theme, for opener “Kino’s Canoe” the saxophonist made use of a technique that he has drawn from in the past: mirroring the melody and harmony of a popular song, then using that reversed material as the leaping off point for a new work built on unexpected phrases. An equally intriguing process rests underneath “Go On, Dear,” for which Cheek wrote a new melody based on the lyrics of a familiar standard.
Without being explicit, the music on Keepers of the Eastern Door beautifully captures a spiritual communion with the natural world and the possibility of a life in harmony with the planet that surrounds and nurtures us. “I'm reluctant to use the term spiritual,” Cheek concludes, “but that's the term often used to describe a realm that exists but that we can't see or quantify.” Native and traditional cultures acknowledge that dimension of reality that we've lost touch with today. Seeing that figure sitting in the canoe suggests to me a parallel world that supports the one that we can put our finger on, but is hard to talk about.”
Keepers Of The Eastern Recording Session
Production Credits
Recorded by James Farber at Power Station, New York, live to 1/2 inch two track analog tape on a custom tube Ampex 351 at 30 ips, November 8-9, 2024
Assistant Engineers: Pete Rende, Matthew Soares, Omisha Chaitanya
Mastered by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Hollywood
Master lacquer cut by Bernie Grundman directly from the analog tape
Produced by Chris Cheek, Jerome Sabbagh & Pete Rende
Executive Producers: Philipe Berman, Ana Mighty Sound
Graphic Design: Element-s/Jérôme Witz
Photos by Edward S. Curtis
Session & Band Photo by Adrien H. Tillmann
Analog Tone Factory would like to thank John Chester, Dave Dintenfass, James Farber, Bernie Grundman, Philipe Berman, François Saint-Gérand, David Smith, the Curtis Legacy Foundation, John & Coleen Graybill and Julie Cardozo.
Special Thanks to Ana Mighty Sound for supporting Analog Tone Factory from the very beginning, and for continuing to do so.
