Originally from Chicago, he began his long career of many recordings and performances in New York´s legendary jazz scene of the 1960’s. He and Bassist Alan Silva contributed to the beginnings of free jazz in New York with the formation of their Free Form Improvisation Ensemble. He also co-founded the East West Trio with Indian sitarist Jamaluddin Bhartiya and percussionist Daoud Amin in 1973, one of the first World Music groups (and long before they called it that.) Since that time he has travelled all over Europe and the USA with performances and recordings of his compositions and arrangements in many different types of music styles and ensembles. As Burton says it: “Music is or should be universal, without limits.. Borders eventually become boring.. they should be transcended. I like all kinds of music as long as it´s not dull or repetitious or superficial.. as long as it´s creative and from the heart.” His !4 piece New Age Jazz Chorale (1975-78) did concerts and recordings in Europe, years before most other groups were termed as “New Age”. In the last 20 years he’s been busy with his klezmer, Sephardic, Balkan, jazz ensemble Klezmokum, and various jazz solo, trio or quartet combinations. He also has a solo orchestral electronics program, teaches jazz, world music workshops, and lectures. His autobiographical book written over 20 years: “Memoirs of A Musical Pesty-Mystic” appeared in print in 2001 (Cadence Jazz Books). His solo piano recording for Drimala Records: “Live At Grasland” was voted one of the top 10 CD releases in All About Jazz (2005). His groups in recent years based in New York and recorded on CIMP Records include a duet with bassist Mark Dresser, a quartet with trumpeter Roy Campbell, Lou Grassi, and Adam Lane. Concerts and recordings also on the CIMP label are his trio with Ed and George Schuller on bass and drums, and a quintet with the Schuller brothers, Russ Nolan on saxes and flute, Paul Smoker on trumpet. His solo piano CD “Retrospective 1961–2005 came out in January, 2007 on the CIMP label. Burton’s group, a quintet: Klez-Edge had a CD Release in May, 2008: “Ancestors, Mindreles, NaGila Monsters” is on John Zorn’s Tzadik CD label in New York. Also Released on the Tzadik label in June, 2009 is the intimate duo CD: “Two Voices in the Desert” with Burton’s long time colleague and Klezmokum clarinetist Perry Robinson. A more recent release (September, 2009) getting great reviews on Latham Records is “Groder & Greene”, spontaneous improvisations in New York with Brian Groder, Rob Brown, Adam Lane, Ray Sage, and Burton Greene. In February 2010 Porter Records brought out a rare recording: Burton Greene Quartet: “Live at the Woodstock Playhouse 1965” with Marion Brown, Rashied Ali, Reggie Johnson. A Klezmokum CD: “Where We Come From, Where We’re Going” came out recently on the Music & Words label (September, 2010). Scheduled CD releases for 2012 will include an electronic music duo with Burton’s long time colleague Alan Silva called “Parallel Worlds” for the Long Song Records label (Italy), and a solo piano CD of Burton’s latest compositions: “Narada Burton Greene: Live At Kerry-town House” on the NoBusiness Records label (Lithuania).
Burton’s music is featured on about 70 recordings: records and CD’s.
Link to youtube performances: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Burton+Greene&aq=f
Links to website interviews and reviews, etc:
http://www.paristransatlantic.com/magazine/interviews/greene.html
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=2109
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=7211
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=33656
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=32201
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=25788
http://www.bagatellen.com/?p=1312
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=26073
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burton_Greene
http://www.justin.tv/bgreene (documentary film and music)
