Burton’s legacy

A man with long hair and a beard playing a piano in a dimly lit room.

About Klezmokum

The Klezmokum Foundation was founded in 2006 by American jazz pianist Burton Greene.

In the years that followed, many concerts were organized with the support of the Jewish Maror Funds. In June 2021, Burton passed away at the age of 84, and it was his express wish that the foundation continue its musical activities in his spirit. To honor this, the foundation’s name and statutes were amended, and a new location was rented at Elementenstraat 16 in Amsterdam-West, where Burton's legacy can be kept alive through exhibitions, workshops, living room concerts, and guest performances.

Two musicians performing on stage, one playing piano and the other on drums, with purple stage lighting and black curtains in the background.

The Klezmokum Foundation's primary goal in previous years was to present the music of the group Klezmokum to the public through concerts and by releasing this music on CDs or other audio carriers. Thanks to subsidies granted several times by the Bureau Maror Funds (Jewish restitution funds), numerous concerts were held in synagogues and other Jewish institutions in various locations across the Netherlands. In addition to several CDs, (live) performances have also been recorded on DVD.

An elderly man with gray hair and a black shirt playing a piano, with his eyes closed, in a dark environment.

Over the years, the group Klezmokum has featured different line-ups. Several prominent jazz musicians have been part of the group, such as Michael Moore (clarinet/alto sax), Hans Mekel (clarinet), Larry Fishkind (tuba), Perry Robinson (clarinet), Patricia Beysens (flugelhorn/vocals), Sophie van Lier (vocals), Marek Balata (vocals), Lior Kuperberg (saxes), Steve Coke (sax/flute), Itai Weissman (saxes), Salvoandrea Lucifora (sousaphone/trombone), and Aviv Noam (alto sax). Alongside Burton, Roberto Haliffi was the group's regular drummer/percussionist throughout all those years.

This short film provides a brief impression of the American jazz pianist Burton Greene, who passed away in 2021 at the age of 84. Burton recorded numerous tapes, LPs, and CDs, a small selection of which has been chosen and incorporated into this film. Burton was a well-known free jazz pianist, but in the last 25 years of his musical career, he became especially recognized as the leader of the group Klezmokum. He brilliantly fused traditional klezmer melodies with jazz improvisations. The film also includes excerpts from various interviews Burton gave. Since June 2024, Klezmokum has been revived with new musicians, as only a few members of the original group are still active. A key figure in the band remains drummer/percussionist Roberto Haliffi, who was part of the group for 25 years.

Black and white photo of a man with long hair and a beard sitting on a couch in front of a poster of a bearded man with long hair, and some text in a foreign language.
Close-up of a man playing the piano with a woman singing into a microphone in the background
A young man with a beard and wavy hair playing the piano, wearing a patterned shirt, in a dimly lit setting.
A black and white photo of a musical outdoor gathering featuring a bearded man with glasses playing a grand piano, surrounded by musicians with string instruments, and people watching in the background, with trees lining the scene.
An older man with gray hair playing the piano in a dimly lit room with warm lighting and bokeh effect in the background.
A jazz band performing on stage, with one musician jumping in the air and another playing a saxophone, illuminated by stage lights.
A person with light-colored hair engrossed in playing a musical instrument, possibly a keyboard or piano, with a dark background and warm lighting.
Two musicians, one playing a sitar and the other playing a piano, perform indoors with pictures on the wall behind them.
A person with light-colored hair is illuminated by a warm, orange glow in a dark environment. The person appears to be in motion or leaning forward, and the image is blurry.
Black and white photo of a man with a beard and curly hair, smiling, wearing a jacket.
A side profile of a man with long curly hair and a beard, playing a keyboard or piano in a dimly lit room.
Black and white photo of a man with dark hair and a beard, looking down and to the side, wearing a white shirt.
Black and white photo of four men standing close together with arms crossed in front of musical microphones and equipment, looking seriously at the camera.
Two musicians playing instruments passionately in a black-and-white photo, one on a saxophone and the other on a piano.
A man with curly hair and a beard wearing a dark tunic with a decorative front panel, standing outdoors at night near a piano with sheet music.
Black and white photo of a man sitting in front of a piano, making a facial expression with one eye squinting, head slightly tilted, and lips pursed.
Two musicians playing piano and double bass, in a black and white photo. The person on the left is playing the piano, and the person on the right is playing the double bass, with a passionate expression on their face.
A black and white photo of nine men sitting and standing in a room, some wearing glasses, with artwork on the wall behind them.