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Grey Ghost
Grey Ghost was formed in late 2002 by Aram Shelton—a regular collaborator with many of Chicago's most active improvisers, including Dragons 1976, Jason Roebke's Rapid Croche and Matt Bauder who are all part of the Document Chicago series—and drummer/keyboardist Johnathan Crawford. Their innovative synthesis of electronic and acoustic music sounds waxes of studio manipulation, but everything the duo creates is done live. A laptop computer samples and processes the sound of Shelton's horn playing and Crawford's synthesizer and melodica so that the duo can essentially improvise collectively with themselves on other instruments, creating a diverse palette of colors and textures.  

Grey Ghost have played the range of Chicago clubs and galleries, including the Empty Bottle, Hot House, Hungry Brain and 3030; they have shared the stage with Jeff Parker & Michael Zerang, the Erik Trufffaz quartet, The Treehouse Project, David Boykin, the Nicole Mitchell trio, and Birth.

Their first full-length album, How to Create Words, was primarily recorded live during two recording sessions, 9 months apart from each other. The album is a polished live recording, not something which can only be replicated in the studio.

Johnathan Crawford creates visual art through graphic design and performs in the groups Head of Femur, which is led by members of Bright Eyes, and with singer songwriter Ed Gray.

Aram Shelton is a performer on saxophone, clarinet and computer. He has been active in Chicago playing jazz and improvised music since 1999 and has played with Ken Vandermark, Jeb Bishop, Josh Abrams, Guillermo Gregorio, Matt Bauder, Steven Bernstein and Jeff Parker. He performs frequently in the groups Dragons 1976 and Rapid Croche, and from time to time with Ken Vandermark's Crisis Ensemble, the Chicago Improvisers Group, and the Scott Rosenberg Large Ensemble.

		How to Create Words (2003) "...resolutely impressive, experimental and challenging...This is a hell of an album." - Splendidzine

More information...

Chicago jazz duo boots up — Lexington Herald-Leader, October 3, 2003