Looking North

2016 release. Bryan Nichols is a pianist and composer based in Minneapolis, MN. Often found playing jazz and improvised music, but at home in a variety of musical worlds, he leads and composes for his own trio, quintet, and nonet in addition to performing, recording, and touring with forward-thinking artists like Nicole Mitchell, Ron Miles, and Olga Bell, and groups like the Gang Font, Dead Man Winter, and Halloween, Alaska. Looking North originates in a concept that is simultaneously new and old in jazz: this is regional music for a global audience. Nichols grew up in Minneapolis, spent time in Iowa in college, and started his professional career in the thriving creative music scene of Chicago. The compositions are a varied exploration of Nichols' mind and playing, and take their inspiration from many sources.