Aram Shelton is an improviser and composer who performs on saxophone, clarinets, and live electronics.

He plays with a distinct, harmonically rich sound and develops musical thoughts through constant motion, tonal shifts and complex sounds alongside clear melodic and rhythmic constructs. His vocabulary utilizes the range of extended techniques including multiphonics and harmonics, circular breathing, wind sounds and an exploration of the outer ranges of the instrument.

He focuses on creative music grounded in and influenced by the rich history of avant-jazz and free improvisation. He's been a member of the creative music communities in Chicago, the San Francisco Bay Area, Copenhagen and Budapest.

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Photo of Aram Shelton at the Stone in NYC. Photo by Peter Gannushkin / Downtownmusic.net

Sounds

Shelton creates music guided aesthetically by the musicians he works with.

In Budapest (2018-2021), he created music alongside Peter Ajtai, Szilveszter Miklós and István Grencsó; in Copenhagen (2016-2018) he worked with Håkon Berre, Christian Rønn, Henrik Pultz Melbye, Ole Mofjell and others.

In Oakland (2005-2016), he developed music for groups including the avant jazz quartet Gold Age; the creative free jazz Ton Trio II; his solo electroacoustic project Tonal Masher; the chamber improv group Broken Trap Ensemble; the electroacoustic trio Stratic; the collaborative quartet Cylinder; his sextet Marches; and the Oakland Active Orchestra.

In Chicago (1999-2005) he created music with his eponymous Quartet, the cooperative sextet Fast Citizens, Jason Adasiewicz’ Rolldown, Dragons 1976; Arrive; the electroacoustic duo Grey Ghost and others.

Videos

Acoustic

Electroacoustic

Albums

Since 2003, Shelton has made more than two dozen albums. His playing and music are available on releases from MultiKulti, Not Two, Delmark, Clean Feed, Cuneiform, Astral Spirits, 482 Music, and his own Singlespeed Music.

Multiring albu

Continental Drift

A long time coming, this quartet co-led by Shelton and Larry Ochs features Mark Dresser, Scott Walton and Kjell Nordeson. Complex compositions and limitless improvising

at Clean Feed

Multiring albu

Multiring

An album of alto saxophone and wurlitzer duets made during the final few months of Shelton's stay in Copenhagen with Danish keyboardist Christian Rønn

at Astral Spirits

Multiring albu

Dormancy

The second album improvised duo album by Shelton and Håkon Berre. This album is more detail oriented than their first, and shows the musical dialogue they have developed.

Hopes and Fears

Hopes and Fears

An improvised album from Shelton, pianist Grzegorz Tarwid (PL), bassist Tomo Jacobson (PL) and drummer Håkon Berre (NO)

at Multikulti

- more albums -

Uncovered

Uncovered

Extroverted music via harmonically charged saxophone and hyper-kinetically driven drums. Shelton with Norwegian drummer Ole Mofjell

at Singlespeed Music

Dear Everyone

Dear Eveyone

Kyle Bruckmann's free jazz, fried electroacoustic noise and dark prog outfit with Shelton, Jason Hoopes and Jordan Glenn

at Multikulti

Shelton berg Duo

Bygning G

Improvised duets from Copenhagen with Aram Shelton on alto saxophone and Håkon Berre on drums and percussion.

on Bandcamp

Gold Age

Gold Age

Oakland based quartet with Shelton on alto saxophone and bass clarinet, Mark Clifford on vibraphone, Safa Shokrai on bass and Britt Ciampa on drums.

on Bandcamp

Resounder

Resounder

Electroacoustic trio with Shelton on saxophone and electronics, Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello, guitar and electronics, and Frank Rosaly on drums and percussion.

at Singlespeed Music

Steel Bridge Trio

Different Clocks

Tim Daisy's Steel Bridge Trio with Shelton on alto saxophone & bass clarinet, Safa Shokrai on bass and Daisy on vibraphone and drums.

at Relay Records

Ton Trio II

On and On

Oakland based Ton Trio II with Shelton on alto saxophone, Scott Brown on bass, and Alex Vittum on drums. Compositions by Shelton.

at Singlespeed Music

Shelton Rosaly Duo

Sticks and Reed

An album of improvisations with Aram Shelton on alto saxophone and Frank Rosaly on drums and percussion.

at Bandcamp

Fast Citizens Gather

Gather

Chicago based collaborative sextet with Fred Lonberg-Holm, Keefe Jackson, Josh Berman, Aram Shelton, Anton Hatwich and Frank Rosaly. Third album in the series released by Delmark, this one led by Fred Lonberg-Holm

Stratic

Stratic

Electroacoustic trio with Shelton on saxophone and electonic processing, Michael Coleman on keyboards and electronics, and Alex Vittum on drums, percussion and Buchla.

on Bandcamp

Aram Shelton Quartet

Everything for Somebody

Second album by the Aram Shelton Quartet with Keefe Jackson, Anton Hatwich and Tim Daisy.

at Singlespeed Music

Roll Down Varmint

Varmint

Second album by Jason Adasiewicz' Roll Down with Shelton, Josh Berman, Jason Roebke and Frank Rosaly

at Cuneiform

Nordson Shelton Incline

Incline

Saxophone drum duo album featuring Aram Shelton and Kjell Nordeson.

at Singlespeed Music

Arrive

There Was...

The third album by Aram Shelton's Arrive with Jason Adasiewicz, Jason Roebke, and Tim Daisy.

at Clean Feed

Cylinder

Cylinder

San Francisco collaborative quartet with Shelton, Darren Johnston, Lisa Mezzacappa and Kjell Nordeson.

at Clean Feed

Last Distractions

Last Distractions

Trio album with Shelton on soprano saxophone and bass clarinet, Josh Berman on cornet and Weasel Walter on drums.

at Singlespeed Music

Aram Shelton Quartet These Times

These Times

Aram Shelton Quartet with Keefe Jackson, Anton Hatwich, and Marc Riordan.

at Singlespeed Music

Fast Citizens Two Cities

Two Cities

Chicago based collaborative sextet with Fred Lonberg-Holm, Keefe Jackson, Josh Berman, Aram Shelton, Anton Hatwich and Frank Rosaly. Second album in the series released by Delmark, this one led by Shelton

Ton Trio The Way

The Way

Ton Trio with Aram Shelton, Kurt Kottheimer, and Sam Ospovat. Compositions by Shelton.

at Singlespeed Music

Rolldown

Roll Down

Jason Adasiewicz' Roll Down with Shelton, Josh Berman, Jason Roebke and Frank Rosaly

Dragons 1976

Dragons 1976

Dragons 1976 with Aram Shelton, Jason Ajemian and Tim Daisy. Released in 2007 by Multikulti.

at Multikulti

Keefe Jackson's Fast Citizens

Ready Everyday

Chicago based collaborative sextet with Fred Lonberg-Holm, Keefe Jackson, Josh Berman, Aram Shelton, Anton Hatwich and Frank Rosaly. Debut album in the series released by Delmark, this one led by Keefe Jackson

Arrive

Arrive

Aram Shelton's first album as a leader with his quartet Arrive featuring Jason Adasiewicz, Jason Roebke and Tim Daisy. Released in 2005 by 482 Music.

Tonal Masher

Shelton's recent solo electroacoustic music is based on explorations of the resonant feedback frequencies that are unique to the saxophone. As Tonal Masher, he focuses on a different aspect of the saxophone by first removing the mouthpiece and reed. Using feedback generated via saxophone, microphone and amplifier, he uses nontraditional fingerings to coax an instrument specific set of tones from a vintage horn. Using a custom built Max patcher, the resulting music features patient polyphony from a monophonic instrument, and highlights the percussive aspects of the saxophone via key clicks and pad thumps.

Since 2001, Shelton has been using computer based live sampling via Max/MSP in a variety of setting to process and extend acoustic instruments. In 2002 he formed the duo Grey Ghost (482 Music) with the drummer Johnathan Crawford. The Wire found their music to be a “focused symbiosis of breath and circuitry”. His electroacoustic work has always focused on the use of live sampling to extend and rearrange the sounds of acoustic instruments in a live performance setting. Due to the ongoing concept of sonic rearrangement, Shelton has chosen the anagram Tonal Masher as an apt moniker.

Listen and Watch here.

Calendar

Over the years Shelton has been fortunate to perform with many exceptional musicians from the US and EU including Péter Ajtai, István Grencsó, Håkon Berre, Ole Mofjell, Axel Dörner, Henrik Pultz Melbye, Carl Ludwig Hübsch, Matthias Müller, Jasper Stadhouders, Martin Blume, Simon Camatta, Robert Landfermann, Kyle Bruckmann's Degradient, Larry Ochs, Jordan Glenn, Kjell Nordeson, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Frank Rosaly, Cory Wright, Tim Daisy, Mark Clifford, Safa Shokrai, Britt Ciampa, Theresa Wong, Jason Adasiewicz, Josh Berman, Keefe Jackson, Matt Bauder, Alex Vittum, Michael Coleman, Lisa Mezzacappa, Darren Johnston, Henry Kaiser, Jon Raskin, Steve Adams, Bruce Ackley, Jacob Felix-Heule, Jacob Wick, William Winant, Mark Dresser, Weasel Walter, Mary Halvorson, Josh Sinton, Jason Ajemian, Ken Vandermark, Audrey Chen, Tony Buck, Magda Mayas, James Fei, Damon Smith and many others.

November 28 Shelton, Ajtai, Pozsár Trio Jazz Kocsma, Szeged, HU
November 15 Mingus, Mingus, Mingus with Péter Ajtai, János Ávéd, Gergő Kováts, Máté Pozsár and Tamás Geröly Cafe Jedermann, Budapest, HU
October 19 Tonal Masher FKSE, Budapest, HU
October 7 Shelton, Cseke, Balo, Ajtai Quartet Harom Hollo, Budapest, HU
October 5 Shelton, Grencso, Ajtai, Szilveszter Quartet Harom Hollo, Budapest, HU

Past Performances:
August 16 Qiyan Bedepuszta Fesztival, Bedepuszta, HU
July 12 Shelton Berre Duo Galleri Krebsen, Copenhagen, DK
July 11 Aram Shelton Christian Rønn Duo Koncertkirken, Copenhagen, DK
June 21 Qiyan Kolorado Fesztival, Nagykovacsi, Hungary
June 19 Mingus, Mingus, Mingus with Péter Ajtai, János Ávéd, Gergő Kováts, Máté Pozsár and Tamás Geröly BMC, Budapest, HU
June 15 Grencso Collective with István Grencsó, Máté Pozsár, Róbert Benkő and Szilveszter Miklós BMC, Budapest, HU
June 14 Aram Shelton Trio with Péter Ajtai and Miklos Szilveszter Cafe Jedermann, Budapest, HU
June 1 Aram Shelton, Grencsó István, Miklos Szilveszter Cafe Lumen, Budapest, HU
May 18 Mingus, Mingus, Mingus with Péter Ajtai, János Ávéd, Gergő Kováts, Máté Pozsár and Tamás Geröly Cafe Jedermann, Budapest, HU
May 6 Mingus, Mingus, Mingus with Péter Ajtai, János Ávéd, Gergő Kováts, Máté Pozsár and Tamás Geröly Harom Hollo, Budapest, HU
May 3 Mingus, Mingus, Mingus with Péter Ajtai, János Ávéd, Gergő Kováts, Máté Pozsár and Tamás Geröly Mediawave Festival, Komarom, HU
April 30 Mingus, Mingus, Mingus with Péter Ajtai, János Ávéd, Gergő Kováts, Máté Pozsár and Tamás Geröly Fono, Budapest, HU
April 5 Aram Shelton Trio with Péter Ajtai and Miklos Szilveszter Cafe Jedermann, Budapest, HU
March 6 Aram Shelton, Grencsó István, Miklos Szilveszter FriForma, Ljubljana, SL
January 26 Aram Shelton Trio with Péter Ajtai and Miklos Szilveszter Cafe Jedermann, Budapest, HU
January 22 Duo with Grencsó István Cafe Lumen, Budapest, HU

Past Performances: 2018
December 14 Aram Shelton Trio with Péter Ajtai and Miklos Szilveszter Cafe Jedermann, Budapest, HU
November 28 Duo with Miklos Szilveszter Cafe Lumen, Budapest, HU
September 8 Aram Shelton with A.M.P. Trio: Máté Pozsár, Péter Ajtai and Miklos Szilveszter Lumen Cafe, Budapest, HU
September 7 Aram Shelton with A.M.P. Trio: Máté Pozsár, Péter Ajtai and Miklos Szilveszter Cafe Jedermann, Budapest, HU
July 7 Gold Age with Aram Shelton, Mark Clifford, Safa Shokrai and Jordan Glenn Studio Grand, Oakland, CA
July 10 Aram Shelton and Jacob Felix Heule the Uptown. Oakland, CA
July 11 Larry Ochs, Aram Shelton, Scott Walton and Kjell Nordeson Center for New Music. San Francisco, CA
June 21 Shelton Berre Duo Peryton, Copenhagen
April 10 Shelton Berre Duo Red Room. Baltimore, MD
April 11 Shelton Berre Duo Rhizome. Washinton, D.C.
April 12 Shelton Berre Duo Black Iris Gallery. Richmond, VA
April 13 Shelton Berre Duo The Sound Hole. Philadelphia, PA
April 14 Shelton Berre Duo + Jaimie Branch and Michael Coleman iBeam. Brooklyn, NY
April 15 Shelton Berre Duo + Tim Daisy, Jason Roebke and Josh Berman the Hungry Brain. Chicago, IL
April 16 Shelton Berre Duo Option Series at ESS. Chicago, IL

Past Performances: 2017
November 27 Shelton Berre Duo Mandagsklubben at 5E
November 7 Chris Brown, Aram Shelton and Søren Kjærgaard Koncertkirken. Copenhagen
November 6 Chris Brown, Peter Bruun and Aram Shelton Mandagsklubben at 5E. Copenhagen
October 16 Aram Shelton, Henrik Pultz-Melbye, Mads Egetoft Mandagsklubben at 5E. Copenhagen
October 10 Shelton Mofjell Duo Playdate, Bergen, NO.
October 9 Shelton Mofjell Duo PØKK, Trondheim, NO.
October 8 Shelton Mofjell Duo T Berlin, Berlin, DE.
October 7 Shelton Mofjell Duo Sowieso, Berlin.
September 25 Shelton / Mofjell Duo Mandagsklubben at 5E. Copenahgen, Denmark
September 11 Aram Shelton, Tomo Jacobson, Anders Vestergaard. Mandagsklubben at 5E. Copenhagen, Denmark.
June 20 Frontburner with Shelton, Henrik Pultze Melbye, Jeppe Skovbakke, Rune Lohse. Koncertkirken. Copenhagen, Denmark.
July 16 Shelton Berre Duo H15 Barefoot Stage. Copenhagen Jazz Fest. 21:30.
July 12 Shelton Duo Koncertkirken. Copenhagen Jazz Fest. 17:00.
July 13 Aram Shelton Sound Trio with Johannes Vaht and Ole Mofjell Koncertkirken. Copenhagen Jazz Fest. 16:30.
May 20 Kyle Bruckmann's Degradient "Dear Everyone" The Lab. San Francisco.
May 18 Jordan Glenn's Wiener Kids Studio Grand. Oakland
May 1 Aram Shelton, Simon Camatta, Matthias Müller, Carl Ludwig Hübsch Alte Mitte. Essen, DE.
April 30 Aram Shelton, Simon Camatta, Matthias Müller, Carl Ludwig Hübsch. Atelier Dürrenfeld. Köln, DE.
April 28 Aram Shelton, Jasper Stadhouders, Robert Landfermann, Martin Blume. King Georg. Köln, DE.
April 20 Front Burner (Melbye/Shelton/Skovbakke/Lohse) Armadillo Eventcafé. Copenhagen.
February 23 Aram Shelton Solo + Lab Trio (BE). Vinterjazz at Koncertkirken. Copenhagen.
February 2 Tonal Masher + Jonathan Pyon / Jenny Gräf / Marcela Lucatelli Sorgenfri at 5E. Copenhagen.

Contact

For any questions, please send an email to
info [at] aramshelton [dot] com

You can find me on these sites: