Photo by Luke Awtry

Tom Gershwin is a composer and trumpeter whose music blends detailed composition and open, expressive improvisation. Rooted in jazz and shaped by long-form listening, his work emphasizes patience, collective texture, and moments where structure gives way to shared discovery.
After more than fifteen years performing in New York and Denver, Gershwin relocated to Danville, Vermont, where a slower pace of life allowed his compositional voice to deepen. Immersed in landscape and sustained periods of writing, he developed a body of work centered on melodic clarity, evolving harmony, and ensemble interaction that unfolds gradually over time. His music invites listeners to arrive quietly, stay as long as they wish, and experience form as something lived rather than fixed.
Gershwin leads the Tom Gershwin Quintet, a long-standing ensemble of trusted collaborators. Their latest album, Wellspring, was recorded over four days at The Clubhouse in Rhinebeck, New York, and has become the centerpiece of a repertoire designed for deep listening in both formal and informal settings. The album was featured by NPR and received coverage from Vermont outlets including Seven Days, The Times Argus, and The Rutland Herald, with “Belong Here” named one of Seven Days’ Top 10 singles of 2025.
Earlier releases include Our Season, Live at Mighty Fine, and Sweet Pastimes, tracing a steady arc from intimate chamber writing to expansive ensemble forms. Across these projects, Gershwin’s work balances rigor and openness, technical demand and emotional accessibility.
As a performer, Gershwin has appeared with artists across jazz, pop, and experimental music, including Chris Potter, Jon Batiste, Kenny Werner, The Temptations, Father John Misty, Portugal. The Man, DeVotchKa, and Jayme Stone. He is a recipient of the Jazz Road Tours grant, the Vermont Creation Grant, and the Pathways to Jazz Grant.
Based in Danville, Vermont, Gershwin continues to compose and develop new work that brings contemporary improvised music into shared public life.