Experimenting with cassette tape loops and a tone row vamp. It went sideways a bit, but I liked it.

Tone Row Vamp with Tape Loop

These are my explorations in sound painting… plus a song or two that accidentally resemble actual music. This is less like a record store and more like stumbling into an artist’s studio: things in progress, things half-finished, things I’m still trying to understand myself.

I’m a guitarist, improviser, and composer based in the Washington, DC area — a Berklee grad from way back when I still thought knowing modes and chord scales would fix everything. I now split my time between two worlds: textural, experimental solo work and the more traditional jazz language I explore with my trios.

In the solo pieces, I chase self-organizing sound — music that tries to form itself without asking my permission: fluid, dynamic, occasionally confused, but alive. With the trio, the focus shifts toward groove, swing, and melody, though improvisation remains the one thing I haven’t managed to ruin.

Both sides come from the same place: curiosity, listening, and trusting the music more than I trust my own plans.

If any of this resonates — or if you just want to talk shop, collaborate, or say hi — feel free to reach out. 🙏

Tone Row Vamp with Tape Loop

Billy Shelton