|
|
艺术家：克里斯·奇克（Chris Cheek）、比尔·弗里塞尔（Bill Frisell）、托尼·谢尔（Tony Scherr）、鲁迪·罗伊斯顿（Rudy Royston）
专辑名称：《东方之门的守护者》（Keepers of the Eastern Door）
发行年份：2025年
厂牌：Analog Tone Factory
音乐类型：爵士乐
音质：Mp3格式320千比特每秒 / FLAC格式（音轨） / 24位-192千赫兹FLAC格式（音轨）
总时长：41分32秒
总大小：98.3兆字节 / 214兆字节 / 1.61吉字节
网站：专辑预览
曲目列表：
1. 《基诺的独木舟》（3分34秒）
2. 《烟圈》（4分30秒）
3. 《啊，神圣的宴饮！》（6分48秒）
4. 《在晴朗的日子里》（4分15秒）
5. 《失去我的宁静》（7分21秒）
6. 《从我到你》（5分05秒）
7. 《东方之门的守护者》（4分45秒）
8. 《继续，亲爱的》（5分18秒）
当欧洲殖民者从北美大西洋海岸向西推进时，莫霍克人——易洛魁联盟最东部的部落——因其作为抵御殖民者入侵的守护者角色，被称为“东方之门的守护者”。从历史视角看，这场战役的结果或许早已注定，但其核心矛盾——尊重土地并与之和谐共处的人与以掠夺性视角看待地球的人之间的冲突——至今仍存。在备受赞誉的萨克斯管演奏家兼作曲家克里斯·奇克的全新专辑《东方之门的守护者》封面中，摄影师兼民族学家爱德华·柯蒂斯的作品《库特奈猎鸭人》通过河面上独木舟的倒影，呈现了两种并行的思维模式：船上的人望向地平线，面对未知的未来。
这些理念为奇克在《东方之门的守护者》中的出色音乐注入了丰富内涵。专辑于2025年5月23日通过Analog Tone Factory发行，由一支卓越的全明星四重奏演绎——奇克与著名吉他手比尔·弗里塞尔、贝斯手托尼·谢尔、鼓手鲁迪·罗伊斯顿合作，带来多元且和谐的曲目，涵盖迷人的原创作品以及披头士、亨利·普赛尔、奥利维耶·梅西安、亨利·曼奇尼等艺术家的经典翻唱。
专辑的灵感源于奇克在圣路易斯艺术博物馆看到的另一幅柯蒂斯摄影作品：一行美洲原住民骑在马背上，在亚利桑那州谢利峡谷的岩层前显得渺小。奇克在圣路易斯长大，曾与家人共享自然时光。他意识到，这张泛黄照片拍摄的同年，自己观看照片的建筑正为1904年世界博览会（即路易斯安那购地博览会）而建——该博览会旨在庆祝美国通过大规模土地收购实现领土翻倍。
“我从小在户外度过大量时光，之后在波士顿和纽约生活多年，发现自然世界与我们所处的高度工业化社会之间存在裂痕，”奇克说，“我开始将‘东方之门的守护者’视为一种隐喻，代表那些试图基于更少物质主义、更尊重环境的传统价值观来守护生活方式的人。”
当萨克斯手杰罗姆·萨巴赫（Jerome Sabbagh）和钢琴家/录音工程师皮特·伦德（Pete Rende）找到奇克时，这些概念已在他心中酝酿。两人于2024年以萨巴赫的《Heart》开启了专注模拟录音的新厂牌Analog Tone Factory，并提议与弗里塞尔合作录音。奇克与弗里塞尔的渊源可追溯至他与传奇鼓手保罗·莫蒂安（Paul Motian）合作的岁月。
“我在伯克利音乐学院求学时发现比尔，他的音色和演奏方式截然不同，改变了我们对音乐的聆听与构思方式，”奇克回忆道，“我至今仍热爱比尔的音乐性与真诚。他演奏的每一个音符都是创意，而非简单的即兴片段或重复乐段。这正是他的演奏如此迷人且引人入胜的原因。”
基于与弗里塞尔合作的想法，奇克邀请谢尔和罗伊斯顿加入阵容。两人均与弗里塞尔有深厚的音乐渊源，曾共同参与弗里塞尔长期合作的两支三重奏——谢尔与鼓手肯尼·沃勒森（Kenny Wollesen），罗伊斯顿与贝斯手托马斯·摩根（Thomas Morgan）。“号角手与知名节奏组合作由来已久，”奇克指出，“我希望与在音乐和私人层面都默契十足的乐手合作，从而产生即时的化学反应。”
弗里塞尔在多年前与保罗·莫蒂安的一场演出中结识奇克，他表示：“当时就有一种独特的声音正在发生。我那时就知道我们需要更多合作。我们做到了。多年后的今天，能与他以及我最亲密的两位音乐兄弟托尼·谢尔和鲁迪·罗伊斯顿重新聚首，真是太棒了。感谢克里斯用这美妙的音乐将我们凝聚在一起。”
四重奏于去年11月汇聚纽约著名的Power Station录音室，其录音方式暗合启发专辑的现代主义与传统的二元对立理念：本质上的现场录音，乐队在同一房间内录制到模拟磁带上——这正是Analog Tone Factory的核心理念。为追求极致保真度，专辑由著名工程师詹姆斯·法伯（James Farber）使用定制电子管Ampex 351磁带录音机，以30 ips速度在1/2英寸磁带上进行双轨现场录音，并由传奇的伯尼·格伦德曼（Bernie Grundman）在模拟领域完成母带制作。
“我认为这是个绝妙的主意，”奇克表示，“用磁带录音听起来就是更好；它拥有纯粹数字领域无法企及的温暖与深度。我真心钦佩杰罗姆和皮特的这一尝试。”
作为同辈中最杰出的萨克斯大师之一，奇克在《东方之门的守护者》中与弗里塞尔的搭档堪称惊艳。两人均专注于旋律，虽为 virtuosos（ virtuoso 的复数形式，意为“ virtuoso 的复数形式，意为“大师”，保留英文以强调专业属性）却从不刻意炫技。他们直接的表达方式与从任何素材中提炼生动情感的能力得以精彩展现，即便从普赛尔17世纪的艺术歌曲《失去我的宁静》过渡到60年代披头士的流行曲《从我到你》，仍营造出连贯的声音氛围。谢尔与罗伊斯顿以敏锐的触感、灵巧的技巧和精准的直觉为他们提供了坚实支持。
奇克为专辑创作的三首原创作品与这些经典之作相得益彰。秉承专辑主题“镜像现实”的理念，开场曲《基诺的独木舟》运用了他此前曾采用的技巧：镜像一首流行歌曲的旋律与和声，再以反转的素材为起点，构建基于意外乐句的新作品。《继续，亲爱的》同样蕴含巧妙构思，奇克根据一首熟悉标准曲的歌词创作了新旋律。
《东方之门的守护者》的音乐虽未直言，却美妙地捕捉了与自然世界的精神交融，以及与滋养我们的星球和谐共处的可能。“我不愿使用‘精神’一词，”奇克总结道，“但这个词常被用来描述一种存在却无法看见或量化的领域。原住民和传统文化承认这种我们如今已失去联系的现实维度。看到坐在独木舟上的身影，我联想到一个平行世界，它支撑着我们触手可及的世界，却难以用言语形容。”
乐手阵容
克里斯·奇克：次中音萨克斯、高音萨克斯
比尔·弗里塞尔：电吉他、木吉他
托尼·谢尔：贝斯
鲁迪·罗伊斯顿：鼓
Artist: Chris Cheek, Bill Frisell, Tony Scherr, Rudy Royston
Title: Keepers of the Eastern Door
Year Of Release: 2025
Label: Analog Tone Factory
Genre: Jazz
Quality: Mp3 320 kbps / FLAC (tracks) / 24bit-192kHz FLAC (tracks)
Total Time: 41:32
Total Size: 98.3 / 214 MB / 1.61 GB
WebSite: Album Preview
Tracklist:
1. Kino's Canoe (3:34)
2. Smoke Rings (4:30)
3. O Sacrum Convivium! (6:48)
4. On A Clear Day (4:15)
5. Lost Is My Quiet (7:21)
6. From Me To You (5:05)
7. Keepers Of The Eastern Door (4:45)
8. Go On, Dear (5:18)
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.”
Chris Cheek - tenor and soprano saxophones
Bill Frisell - electric and acoustic guitars
Tony Scherr - bass
Rudy Royston - drums
|
|
发表于 2025-5-28 07:45:50