Highly improbable sax hero, bright, lush, and never sketchy.
Stripping the music to its essentials, saxophonist Todd DelGiudice explores the remarkable freedom and intimacy of the saxophone trio on this program of compelling originals and modern jazz standards. The title, Mas Alto, carries a playful double meaning, "higher" in Spanish, reflecting DelGiudice's continual pursuit of artistic growth, and "more alto," a fitting celebration of the instrument's lyrical power in a format more often dominated by tenor saxophonists. With longtime musical partner Jon Hamar on bass, in two trios with the masterful drummers Obed Calvaire and Jim White, DelGiudice draws on the enduring legacy of Sonny Rollins, Lee Konitz, and Kenny Garrett while speaking with a voice that is his own. Inspired, conversational, and richly melodic, Mas Alto is a deeply engaging statement from an artist whose command and love of the tradition leads him continually to fresh and spontaneous musical discoveries.
Track Listing:
1 Ablution 5:08 Lennie Tristano
2 P.O.I. 8:48 Jon Hamar
3 Falling Grace 5:22 Steve Swallow
4 Horses for Courses 5:19 DelGiudice
5 Darn That Dream 6:25 Jimmy Van Heusen
6 Around Now 5:50 DelGiudice
7 Mas Alto 8:30 DelGiudice
8 Small Feats 8:19 Ron Miller
9 Momentos 7:26 DelGiudice
10 Stratigraphy 3:42 DelGiudice
Performers:
Todd DelGiudice - alto sax
Jon Hamar - bass
Obed Calvaire - drums (2,4,5,7,8,9)
Jim White - drums (1,3,6,10)
Production Info:
Produced by Todd DelGiudice
Recorded by Chris Sulit at Trading 8s Studio, Paramus, NJ (2,4,5,7,8,9)
Recorded by Socrates Garcia at UNC Recording Studio, Greeley, CO (1,3,6,10)
Recorded on December 16, 2025 & May 23, 2026
Mixed & mastered by Chris Sulit at Trading 8s Studio, Paramus NJ
Cover design & layout by John Bishop
Reviews of Mas Alto
Paris Move (Thierry De Clemensat)
5-STARS Todd DelGiudice's Mas Alto: An Alto Saxophone Trio That Rewards Deep Listening
By late afternoon, the heat has become almost physical, the kind of heat that settles over the city and seems determined to stay there. Inside the studio, the fans are working overtime, pushing around air that is only marginally cooler, while bottles of water ...
Jazz Weekly (George W Harris)
The problem with most alto sax players is that they tend to forsake tone over chops. Todd Delgiudice found the right formula for the right and rich sound, mixing his own tunes with some jazz covers teaming with Jon Hamar/b and Oved Calvaire-Jim White/dr. His tone is cotton candy fluffy on Lennie Tristano's "Ablution" and flutters like a dove on his ...
Making A Scene (Dee Dee McNeil)
Todd DelGiudice has recorded this album as a chord-less project, stripping the music down to its bare essentials: drums, bass and woodwind. The album title is Spanish and translates "Mas Alto" to mean "Higher." This could be a reference to this saxophone artist striving for higher heights in his musical career. "Mas Alto" also can translate to "mo ...
Modern Drummer (Editor)
The saxophone trio is a long-standing tradition is jazz. Saxophonists like Sonny Rollins, Lee Konitz, Steve Coleman, Joe Henderson, and Joe Lovano have all participated in this tradition. The "sax trio" is always an exciting instrumentation for drummers. The absence of a chordal instrument affords the drummer more space and allow us to exert more o ...
