This Thursday, May 9, The Jazz Gallery is pleased to welcome saxophonist Caroline Davis back to our stage to celebrate the release of her new record, Alula (New Amsterdam). Davis has frequently found musical inspiration in natural phenomena. Her last record from 2018, Heart Tonic (Sunnyside), featured compositions inspired by the push and pull of heartbeats with arrhythmia. In animal biology, the alula is a small, anterior digit on a bird's wing. The alula works like slats on aircraft, which allow for different amounts of lift when a bird is taking off or landing. The alula functions in particular rhythmic ways, providing Davis with yet another means of grounding her compositions in the time cycles of the natural world.Beyond Davis's thoughtful compositions, Alula is defined by the rapport between Davis and her two collaborators—keyboard wizard Matt Mitchell (exclusively featured here on a set of classic synthesizers) and Deerhoof drummer Greg Saunier. For the record release celebration, Dan Weiss (another musician who explores rhythms from beyond the musical world) will fill in for Mr. Saunier. Before coming to the Gallery, watch the music video for Alula's lead single, "Wingbeat," below.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOZ4x4-Sl54 Caroline Davis celebrates the release of Alula (New Amsterdam) at The Jazz Gallery on Thursday, May 9, 2019. The group features Ms. Davis on alto saxophone, Matt Mitchell on synthesizers and piano, and Dan Weiss on drums. Sets are at 7:30 and 9:30 P.M. $15 general admission (FREE for members), $20 reserved cabaret seating ($10 for members) for each set. Purchase tickets here.