Aram Shelton is a multi-instrumentalist on saxophones and clarinets, a composer & improviser, and creates electroacoustic music through computer-based electronics. While the music he makes is spread across a variety of aesthetic lines, it is related by the importance of improvisation to develop material and express musical individuality. He currently lives in Oakland, California.

"Shelton’s alto tone is full of the quizzical curls and bitter wisps, not to mention sharp repetition, that recall Roscoe Mitchell at his hairiest."
- Clifford Allen, Bagatellen

"Shelton plays alto with a singing sound and a wonderful way of developing juicy phrases into full-blown solos."
- John Litweiler, author of "Ornette Coleman, A Harmolodic Life"

"brings to mind a young Anthony Braxton, with an acerbic asceticism, obliquely rooted in jazz, at work."
- John Kelman - All About Jazz

Beginning on tenor saxophone while growing up on a small ranch in southeast Florida, Shelton switched to alto in college and focused on the classical techniques of the instrument. On graduating, Shelton moved to Washington DC for a summer where he met other young musicians that were mainly playing free jazz. After an intense several months that served as an awakening to the power of improvised music he moved to Chicago in the spring of 1999, inspired by the amount of musical activity. He quickly became involved in the city’s creative music scene and began to develop his playing style on alto saxophone while simultaneously studying clarinet and trumpet. He played creative jazz and improvised music in many settings including the groups Dragons 1976, Arrive, and Rapid Croche. Over time he began to use computer-based electronics for the live sampling and manipulation of acoustic instruments, and with Johnathan Crawford formed the group Grey Ghost.

After several productive years in Chicago, Shelton moved out west to study electroacoustic music at Mills College in Oakland, California. While studying there Shelton developed compositions that focused on the technique of phrase modification, wherein written phrases played by orchestral instruments are recorded in real time and rearranged via custom built patches in MAX/MSP. He continues to improvise and compose electroacoustic music focused on these concepts.

Shelton has been fortunate to perform with a wide variety of talented musicians including Tim Daisy, Ken Vandermark, Jason Ajemian, Josh Berman, Audrey Chen, Darren Johnston, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Dave Rempis, Damon Smith, Steve Bernstein, Weasel Walter, Jason Roebke, Liz Albee, Rob Mazurek, Matt Bauder, Jessica Pavone, Havard Wiik, Josh Abrams, Harris Eisenstadt, Jeb Bishop, Tim Perkis, Kevin Drumm, Kjell Nordeson, Frank Rosaly, Guillermo Gregorio, and Chris Brown. He has performed in Europe, Canada and the United States including appearances at the Chicago Jazz Festival, the Suoni per il Popolo Festival in Montreal, and the Krakow Autumn Jazz Festival. His playing and music has been documented through several imprints including Delmark, 482 Music, Locust Music, MultiKulti, Edgetone, and his own Singlespeed Music.

In California the groups Cylinder, Ton Trio, Marches, the Shelton/Healy duo, the Pink Canoes, and Settled represent his music. He maintains his connections to Chicago through the groups Rolldown (482 Music), Dragons 1976 (Multikulti), Arrive and the Fast Citizens (Delmark).