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| Recent photos on my houseboat by Arjen Veldt | |
Klezmokum became a foundation and with the support of Maror and the Levi Lassen Foundations we did a series of 13 concerts in Jewish culture Centers and synagogues all over Holland and in Belgium. The program was an upgraded version of “Ancient & Newer Roots”, my arrangements of works of mainly Jewish composers active since World War II until the present time. Works certainly deserving of a wider hearing and recognition. Our new group Klez-Edge was formed for one of these concerts: with Marek Balata—vocals, Perry Robinson—clarinet, Larry Fishkind—tuba, Roberto Haliffi—drums, myself on piano. Subsequently we were asked to record for John Zorn’s avant Jewish music label: Tzadik in New York.. see agenda
I've arranged all new material for this recording and subsequent concerts. In July and October, 2007 my jazz trio with Ed and George Schuller did 2 tours of concerts in New York, and along the East Coast: in Cambridge, Massachusets, at the Cape Cod Jazz Festival, at the University of Pennsylvania, and in the Rochester, NY Bop Shop series with guest Paul Smoker on trumpet. The trio also recorded our new compositions in New York in October, 2007 which will be released on a new CD and in the winter of 2009- 2010: see agenda
Recording with Perry Robinson in duo for John Zorn’s Tzadik Records: “Two Voices in the Desert”.. all new compositions by Silke Rollig, Burton Greene, Perry Robinson, and featuring “Desert Suite” with compositions by Silke Rollig/ B.Greene and John Zorn. Duo concert with Perry at The Stone in NYC on April 17, 2008, and a duo with percussionist Laurence Cook at Studio 234 in Cambridge, MA.
2004 - 2006
Burton's solo piano CD "Live at Grasland" (Drimala Records) was voted one of the top CD's of the year 2004 in All About Jazz, NYC. Concerts in New York and the East Coast and a quartet Recording for CIMP: The Burton Greene /Roy Campbell Quartet: "Isms Out" with Roy, Lou Grassi, Adam Lane. Much critical acclaim with this group:
4 CD recordings in 2005: Klezmokum "Ancient and Newer Roots" for BV Haast in Amsterdam. A first for the CIMP label: A trilogy -- 3 days of recordings of my current music at St. Laurence University, Canton, N.Y. in August of 2005. The first is the Burton Greene Quintet "Signs of the Times" with Paul Smoker, Russ Nolan, Ed and George Schuller. The 2nd is the Burton Greene Trio "Ins and Outs" with Ed and George Schuller. The 3rd is a piano solo: "Burton Greene: Retrospective 1961-2005. All 4 recordings have been brought out in 2006. Funding for the Klezmokum "Ancient and Newer Roots" extensive recording project has been provided by the European Association for Jewish Culture in London, and ThuisKopie Fonds in Holland. .
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| "Burton Greene trio" photos Bob Rusch | ||
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| "Burton Greene Quintet" photos Bob Rusch |
Concerts, and recordings in Europe, North Africa, and USA . Burtonīs autobiographical “Memoirs of a Musical Pesty-Mystic” has been brought out by Cadence Jazz Books. Recordings include Klezmokum: “Le Dor Va Dor” in cooperation with a grant from the Dutch government, “These Spirits of Elsewhere” with Vienna saxophonist Michael Fischer, percussionist Andi Menrath. His duo recording with bassist Mark Dresser “Peace Beyond Conflict” for CIMP was released in March, 2002 and has received critical acclaim. The duo subsequently had a concert tour in Holland and Austria in May, 2002. A CD recording of Burton’s solo orchestral electronics compositions at the Nervous Center in Chicago and together with a Chicago Noise group—The Sacred Baboons was released at the beginning of 2003. Burton’s new group Klezthetics performs in concerts and has a recent CD “Calistrophy” brought out by BV Haast in Amsterdam (2003). A reunion concert with vocalist Patty Waters and Mark Dresser took place at the opening of the Visions Festival in New York in May, 2003, followed by a festival performance at LeWeekend in Stirling, Scotland organized by The Wire Magazine.
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| Hollywood Florida Concert 2002 photos: Asimo Stollman | ||
Recordings and concert tours in the USA and Europe include his solo piano CD "Shades of Greene" ('98) on Cadence Records, "Throptics" (1999) a trio date with Lou Grassi and Wilber Morris on the CIMP label, "Free Form Improvisation Ensemble" with Alan Silva (from 1964 - released in 1999 on Cadence). Three festivals (1997 - 1999) at Knitting Factory in New York with Burton's klezmer/jazz band "Klezmokum". Concerts in Connecticut, Chicago, Buffalo, and Washington DC with Roswell Rudd, and Perry Robinson. Quartet concerts at "Rituals" in Chicago with Hanah Jon Taylor, Malachi Favors, Kahil El Zabar. "ReJew-venation", the 3rd Klezmokum CD ('98) sold out the first pressing in just 3 months. Festival Appearances include: Mitte Europa (Germany '98), Amiens Jazz Festival (France 1999), Les Amis de Brosella, and Ghent Festival (Belgium 1999), International Jewish Music Festival and Klap Op de Vuurpijl (Holland 1998).
1991 - 1996
Tours through Eastern and Western Europe of Burton's world music group: Klezmokum, which is involved with a synthesis of Jewish and other Semitic music together with jazz and improvisation. Concerts in New York of Klez-Jazz, (the American version of Klezmokum). Two CD recordings of Klezmokum for B.V. Haast in Amsterdam. Trio concert tours in Germany with Clarence Becton (drums), and Tjitze Vogel (bass). Quartet concert tour of Romania with saxophonist Liviu Butoi. Many performances and 2 CD recordings with trombonist Akki Hak's band. World Music workshops for Stichting Swing in Zwolle and Amsterdam, Stg. Jazz Workshops in Eindhoven, in Meppel and Middelharnis, Holland. Lecture at New England Conservatory, Boston, Mass.
1987 - 1991
(1989) Klezmokum formed with clarinetist Marcel Salomon in Amsterdam.. with Larry Fishkind (U.S.A.) on tuba, and Roberto Haliffi (Libya/Italy) on drums and African percussion. Performances on Dutch Radio and TV. Solo and duet tour with saxophonist Keshavan Maslak in Poland and the Soviet Union Baltic Republics. Lectures and workshops at the Utrecht Conservatory. (1987-'88) "Music and Poetry in Resistance" - a series of 8 compositions based on texts of South African poets in exile.. many performances of this work with a 7 piece ensemble including vocalists Phil Arosa (Zimbabwe), Peggy Larson (U.S.A.), and Jose Koning (Holland), in Holland, Belgium, and Germany including CASA (anti-apartheid) festivals, and Festival for New Music in Middelburg, Holland. Composer grant from Schepen de Toonkunst Foundation (Amsterdam) for electronics research and composition.. The result of this was "Solo Orchestra in Real Time", a solo electronics CD produced by Nimbus Records. (1990)
1981 - 1986
Several quartet tours, recordings, and workshops in Eastern and Western Europe first with tenor saxophonist Fred Leeflang (Holland), and later with alto and soprano saxophonist Paul Stocker (U.S.A.). East West Trio tours and recordings with Jamaluddin Bhartiya (India, sitar), and Glenn Hahn (Suriname) on Latin percussion. Solo piano tours and recording. Many new compositions (solo and quartet) including "Zephyr", "Free from Gravitation", "Uriel", "Arcturus", "Longing", "Phalanx", "Skumpy", "Murenga", and others. Concerts in the U.S.A. in 1986 at the American University (Washington, D.C.) and Hollywood Art and Culture Center (Florida). Solo appearance at the opening of Lotus Center - Satchidananda Ashram (Virginia).
1978 - 1980
"Na-galm" (Reverberations) - a musical collaboration in a theater piece created by Jenn ben Yakov; three month tour in Holland. "We Have a Dream" - a jazz oratorio commissioned by de Kosmos Center, Amsterdam in conjunction with the World Symposium on Humanity.. a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. and Khalil Gibran. Solo recordings in France, Germany, and Italy; a duet recording with bassist Alan Silva for Hat Hut Records.
1975 - 1977
Premiere of "Levensboom" (Tree of Life), a multi-media presentation with painter Diana Vandenberg, poet Vincent Gaeta, mime Jo Roehrig, light-slide show Hans Vaessen, and Bale Dawe Motema (African) dancers. Formed 14 piece ensemble called "New Age Jazz Chorale" with tours in Holland and Germany, new works for the Holland Festival, and the recording "Light" which includes compositions "Manifesto for Angels" and "Tarot".
1969 - 1974
"Om Chorale" for 25 singers and 5 instrumentalists (1974), composed for yoga teacher Swami Satchidananda at Yogaville - Pomfret Center, Connecticut. "Tarot" - a musical play with poet/playwright Vincent Gaeta (1973). Co-created East West Trio with Indian Sitarist Jamaluddin Bhartiya and New York percussionist Daoud Amin.. one of the first world music groups, it has existed more than 20 years. "Depth" (1970) composed for 10 musicians and recorded by AVRO Radio in Holland. "Holiday Suite" (1969) composed for the Danish Radio Orchestra.