Pol Lenders

Pol Lenders, whose real name is Léopold Lenders, long known as Pol du Pol's Jazz Club, born in 1917 and died on August 2, 20001, is a Brussels and Belgian jazz personality who has opened several clubs in Brussels.

Biography
Pol Lenders is the son of a flower seller from Place Rogier in Brussels. During his youth, already amateur of rhythmic American music, in connection with his red hair, he will be nicknamed "Rosse Polle" ("Paul le Roux" in Brusseleer). He quickly became a figure in Brussels folklore. In the 1960s, he was doorman in several trendy clubs in the Belgian capital such as Les Cousins near the Grand-Place, Le Ben-Hur, rue du Marché aux Fromages) or even La Frégate rue Neuve. Then, he opened several jazz clubs, the “Carton Club”, the “Victory Club”, the “Pol's” rue du Marché au Charbon, the “Pol's Jazz Club” rue de Stassart in Ixelles and the “Bierodrome” place Fernand Cocq also in Ixelles. Pol Lenders invited the biggest names in American jazz, blues and swing, such as John Coltrane, Count Basie, Dexter Gordon and many more. In 1985, he also helped set up the “Saint-Jazz-ten-Noode” 2 in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, a town where he lived for some time in the rue de Liedekerke. It was not until 1991 that he travelled to the United States for the first time and discovered New Orleans.

75th. Birthday Celebration

Pol multiplies. In 1975, he opened the Bierodrome, place Fernand Cocq.

To keep the Pol's, I often visited "My aunt", the Mont-de-Piété, to put personal items on the nail. Unlike others, I have always wanted to have the money to pay for the orchestras.

At the Bierodrome, Pol is programming musette and bel-canto, but he quickly realizes that only jazz works well. Pol abandons the rue de Stassart and concentrates on the Bierodrome, which he runs with his second wife Marie-Louise.

The people who came to play there? All. You take the musicians' directory and you will find them all. Except the avant-garde. Those who only play for their pleasure and not for that of the public! Jazz is made for dancing. Now they all just sit on their backs and listen to the music!

In 1990, it is the rupture. Pol leaves the Bierodrome. No more jazz? No, of course. Jef, the boss of the “Golden Wheel” and of the “Kelderke”, opened the “Estaminet”, Grand-Place. Pol becomes a “Jazz Consultant” (sic).

Installed in the vaulted cellars of the building, the place has a little taste of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. While the weekend is mostly Dixieland and New Orleans, jazz fans would do well to listen to it on weekdays. They will undoubtedly have the chance to hear “jamming”, on Tuesday, some big names of Belgian jazz ...

When you ask Pol about his best memory, he's hesitant.

It's probably my seventieth birthday. There were six orchestras from New Orelans, the Boogie Boy and Toots Thielemans.

But this anniversary may well be blurred by the party that his friends have prepared for him for his 75 years, this November 18. It will start at 7:30 p.m. with the Street Parade Pol's Place and it will continue with the Brussels Concertband, the Cotton City Jazz, the Boogie Boy and his Woogies and, finally, around midnight, with a monster jam where we expect no less than 150 jazzmen!

MARTINE DUPREZ

The 75 years of Pol, Hôtel Palace, place Rogier, 1210 Brussels, November 18, from 7:30 pm Entrance tickets: 999 F (with buffet), on sale at the “Estaminet”, Grand-Place, 14 , at the "Kelderke", Grand-Place, 13 and at the "Golden Wheel", rue des Chapeliers, 26.