There are people who keep the jazz ecosystem moving—quietly spotting talent, building stages, and channelling resources where they’ll make a difference. Seth Abramson is one of them. He joined me for a conversation about his current roles at The Gilmore and the Jazz Legacy Fellowship—and more broadly, the lessons he’s learned about building jazz careers today.
A former NYU-trained musician who cut his teeth interning at Columbia Records (under George Butler) and later worked across major labels (including WEA and a brief Geffen stint), he spent seven-plus years as an agent (repping or working with the likes of Abbey Lincoln, Tommy Flanagan, Pharoah Sanders and Terence Blanchard).
In 1999 he “jumped the fence” to the presenting side, launching a long run as Artistic Director of New York’s Jazz Standard until its pandemic-era closure in 2020.
Today, he directs jazz at The Gilmore (Kalamazoo, MI)—overseeing its expanding jazz awards and festival—and serves as Senior Artistic Adviser for the Jazz Legacy Fellowship, a partnership between the Jazz Foundation of America and the Mellon Foundation supporting fifty artists over four years.
Thanks to Seth for joining me; I’ve pulled out and tidied up selected sections of our conversation below, which cover these key takeaways:
Jazzfuel Takeaways
- Development needs flexible stages. One- or two-night slots can be worth more than a premature week-long booking.
- Awards look for trajectory. Being “road-ready” and poised to use resources matters as much as raw brilliance.
- Peers are rocket fuel. Your cohort becomes your scene; invest in those relationships.
- Composition clarifies identity. Writing—even imperfectly—helps you find your voice.
- Metrics ≠ tickets. Social numbers help, but presenters still bet on music, connection and momentum.
We started by talking about his current roles at The Gilmore and with the Jazz Legacy Fellowship—two initiatives reshaping what career support looks like for jazz musicians today.
Tell us about Jazz at The Gilmore and the Fellowship Award
About three years ago I took on the role of Director of Jazz for The Gilmore, a non-profit in Kalamazoo with a major awards programme and a festival that becomes annual from 2026.
In the last year I also became Senior Artistic Adviser for the Jazz Legacy Fellowship—a partnership between the Jazz Foundation of America and the Mellon Foundation—supporting 50 artists over four years.
It’s a beautiful award: $100,000 in unrestricted funds to each artist, plus additional tailored services that cover expenses for creative projects and any life needs at this point in their careers.
Inside The Gilmore’s awards process
We have the Larry J. Bell Jazz Artist Award—a $300,000 prize—and two Bell Young Jazz Artist Awards of $25,000 each. Young-artist funds support education and include a portion to commission a new work with exclusive performance rights for a year.
There’s now a public-facing nominating committee of around 40–50 people—well-known artists, media, presenters, label execs and academics—spread internationally to ensure we don’t miss deserving pianists. The Artist Award is open worldwide; the Young Jazz Artist Awards currently require artists to be based or studying in the U.S.
A smaller nominating committee remains anonymous until the announcement so they can see artists live—solo, trio, big-band contexts—without attention.
There’s no application process; it’s more like a MacArthur-style model. It’s rigorous and unfolds over four years, narrowing to finalists and, ultimately, the recipient.
It’s subjective to a degree, of course, but the committee has the ears and knowledge to make informed choices about who deserves it, who would benefit, and who is poised to use the award to propel their career.
Are “career tools” a factor?
For the major award, yes.
Ideally the artist is road-tested and understands what life on the road entails. Someone can be a great player and still decide the road isn’t for them—preferring to teach or stay local.
This award is designed to support someone who will continue recording, make a major impact over time, and is not so far along that the award wouldn’t change their trajectory.
So, hugely established figures—your Herbie Hancocks, Brad Mehldaus and so on—wouldn’t be considered because it wouldn’t alter their careers
Looking back at your time at Jazz Standard, how did you approach building artist careers?
When I started, most major clubs followed a Tuesday–Sunday headliner model (with things like a Monday residency at the Vanguard). That structure made it hard to develop artists who weren’t ready to sell six nights.
We chose to be flexible—bringing artists for one or two nights, often alongside a Thursday–Sunday national act. It let us introduce people like Jason Moran, Robert Glasper, Luciana Souza, Donny McCaslin, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Miguel Zenón, Esperanza Spalding and others, then grow them.
Even if the first outing didn’t sell out, we’d commit if we believed they had something unique and would connect with audiences.
New York is a tastemaker market. If you do a good job, press and presenters pay attention. Over time we built that reputation; visiting presenters from the U.S. and abroad would come to see what was happening. Venues like The Jazz Gallery have also played that vital developmental role.
Have booking criteria changed? Do promoters still take risks?
It depends on the market—overheads and risk tolerance vary. Some venues can’t take many risks and feel pressure to book what seems “proven.” And newer metrics—follower counts, for example—aren’t always accurate predictors of ticket sales; an internet star doesn’t necessarily sell out a 200-seat club.
There are still people trying to develop artists, though not enough. It’s as hard now—if not harder—to get those first opportunities.
Newer spots, like Close Up on the Lower East Side, are experimenting. Scenes also cycle—London, L.A., New Orleans—each with different takes on the music.
The definition of jazz is wide, and presenters sometimes focus on a niche or two within it.
Lastly, if you were 25 and starting a career as a musician today, what would you be focusing on?
Your peer network is critical.
Artists who evolve tend to come up with a cohort—think Brad Mehldau, Joshua Redman, Peter Bernstein, Christian McBride, Brian Blade—or Kurt Rosenwinkel with Mark Turner, Jeff Ballard, Ben Street. Find like-minded peers and keep playing together.
Seek out mentors—established musicians are often open to conversations or lessons. Learn the vocabulary of the music (standards, the tradition through Miles, Herbie, Wayne, etc.), then forge your own voice through composition and new works—yours and your peers’. Even if you don’t become a composer per se, the process helps define your identity.
Play as much as possible—sessions, jam nights, Broadway pits, whatever gets you in rooms with musicians—while making sure you’re treated fairly. Keep working privately on your craft, but get out and make music with others.
Thanks again to Seth for his time.
Keep an eye out for the Gilmore Rising Stars award this autumn and the announcement of their festival lineup for spring 2026.
They’ll also be announcing the inaugural recipients of both the Bell Jazz Artist Award and the Bell Young Jazz Artist Awards.
You can find more of our jazz interviews here, including with Christian McBride, Dave Liebman and Kurt Rosenwinkel.