Leopold Lenders

Léopold Lenders (born in 1917 and died August 2, 2000) Long known as Pol du Pol’s Jazz Club, is a Brussels and Belgian personality in the world of jazz who opened several clubs in Brussels. Pol Lenders is the son of a flower seller from Place Rogier in Brussels. During his youth, already a fan of American rhythmic music, He quickly became a figure in Brussels folklore. In the 1960s, he was a doorman in several trendy clubs in the Belgian capital. 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 others. In 1985, he also helped create “Saint-Jazz-ten-Noode” in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, a commune in Brussels where he lived for some time in rue de Liedekerke. It was not until 1991 that he visited the United States for the first time and discovered New Orleans. In his honor, the town of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode named a street in his name. Street signs, in addition to the words “rue Léopold Lenders”, specify “dit Pol du Pol’s Jazz Club”.