In his will, Burton stated that he wanted to make his houseboat, the "Zeeleeuw," located at Westerdok 5 in the center of Amsterdam, available to the Klezmokum foundation as a meeting place for musicians and enthusiasts.
However, the boat is nearly 80 years old, not very presentable, and has no value. The value of the mooring, on the other hand, has grown over the years into a small fortune. Therefore, the board decided to sell the mooring and donate the proceeds as a gift to the foundation. This process took 2.5 years but was completed in January 2024. The boat was demolished, and the piano, along with all of Burton's belongings, was moved to Elementenstraat.
The articles of association of the foundation have been amended by notary Maarten Meijer and filed with the Chamber of Commerce in Amsterdam. Roberto Haliffi has taken over Burton's position as musical advisor. The main objective of the foundation remains unchanged: to develop, perform, and document contemporary music, either of Jewish origin or more generally related to jazz. The name “Klezmokum” reflects this mission: klez from klezmer music and mokum, the Jewish word for Amsterdam.
The second objective is managing the financial legacy of the late Burton Greene, as stipulated in his will, and the third is facilitating activities directly related to Burton’s vision through sponsorship. To reflect this, the foundation's name has been expanded to include “Burton Greene Foundation.” Additionally, the board has been expanded with guitarist Harold Berghuis.
In the building of Renato’s Pizzas, which also houses offices and a workshop, the Klezmokum Foundation has rented 77m² on the ground floor, alongside a few other subtenants. Within this space, a soundproof play and recording studio has been constructed, measuring 4 by 3 meters with a height of 3 meters, designed and built by Bo van Veen.
The area surrounding the studio has been furnished with everything Burton left behind: books, documents, equipment, percussion instruments, sheet music, tapes, CDs, DVDs, artwork, and more. Burton’s Yamaha C5 grand piano from 1992 is also housed in this space but can be moved to the front area of the building, where house concerts and/or jam sessions will take place.
All musicians who are or have been associated with Klezmokum and/or Burton can submit a proposal to use the spaces, along with a realistic budget of the costs. Proposals can also include performances at other locations. The board will review the plans, approve them where appropriate, and ensure their implementation. Current information on this process will be published on this website.
