for your consideration

NEGATIVE PRESS PROJECT + FRICTION QUARTET

CYCLES I

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album

ABOUT THE RECORDING

CYCLES I is the first volume of Negative Press Project’s most ambitious work to date, bringing the chamber-jazz ensemble led by pianist/composer Ruthie Dineen and bassist/composer Andrew Lion together with San Francisco’s Friction Quartet. Written during a period of profound social disruption and personal change, the album draws on jazz, classical music, minimalism and melodicism while retaining a strong improvisational core. Across original compositions by Dineen and Lion, strings, horns, rhythm section and guest voices are treated as an integrated ensemble rather than separate layers, creating music that moves between intimacy, tension, momentum and release. The result reflects both the cycles of uncertainty of our period and the artists’ determination to find connection, resilience and hope through collective music-making.

“Chamber jazz of the highest order.” Jack Bowers, All About Jazz

“Adventurous yet accessible.”  Goldmine

credits

NEGATIVE PRESS PROJECT + Friction Quartet

Ruthie Dineen (p)
Lyle Link (ss)
Andrew Lion (b)
Tony Peebles (ts)
Rafa Postel (tp)
Luis Salcedo (gt)
Isaac Schwartz (d)
Chris Sullivan (as)
+
Stephanie Bibbo (viol)
Otis Harriel (vn)
Doug Machiz (vc)
Kevin Rogers (vn)

Feat. Guest Instrumentalists:
Ami Molinelli (perc)
Ivan Arteaga (cl)
Patrick Malabuyo (tb)

PRODUCED BY
Andrew Lion and Ruthie Dineen

ASSISTING PRODUCTION
Erica Zappia
Dave Tweedie

ENGINEER
Gabriel Shepard

STRINGS SESSION ENGINEER/MIX ENGINEER
Adam Muñoz

MASTERING
Ken Lee Mastering