Starting out as one of
Elektra Records' earliest producers in 1958, he learned audio engineering working closely with label founder
Jac Holzman. In Holzman's history of Elektra
Follow the Music, he recalls Abramson's production work: "He had a natural musical and dramatic sense and absorbed the practical aspects of engineering rapidly. He was an artist himself, with an even temperament, able to get along very well with the artists, and he became a hybrid recording engineer/producer—our first." In addition to music production, Abramson directed art films and promotional music shorts of
Love and
The Doors. Notably, the films made for The Doors' "Break on Through" and "The Unknown Soldier" were early forerunners of the music video era and were shown at live concerts. After leaving Elektra, Abramson became more involved in the visual arts, and his photography, paintings and sculpture have been exhibited in numerous galleries. In his later years, he was Program Director for Family of Woodstock in
Woodstock, New York. While filming his movie and unavailable as a record producer, Judy Collins took a sabbatical, waiting for her favorite producer to return. ==Personal life and death==