Pianist Bryan Nichols is embarking on a new chapter in his musical life. On Saturday he launches a new quintet to navigate his original compositions. He'll be joined by Sophia Kickhofel (sax), Jake Baldwin (trumpet), Dan Carpel (bass) and JT Bates (drums). The group premieres at Berlin and he was nice enough to stop by Jazz88 and chat with Sean McPherson about the new lineup and his approach to collaborating with new players and how to stay committed to being a lifelong student of music.