Albert Bettonville

Beginning in the 1930s Albert Bettonville quickly became one of Belgium’s leading jazz critics, writing for national and international magazines as well as hosting various radio shows up until the mid 1970s. His most influential show was probably ‘Le Jazz Vivant’, which ran on the INR from 1950 until 1956. Together with Carlos de Radzitzky, he produced the iconic ‘Innovation En Jazz’ series of three records, now considered milestones in Belgium’s modern jazz history. Bettonville was also a notorious jazz collector and discographer, trading rare records with foreign collectors. He regularly organised listening sessions with fellow collectors and amateurs at his home in Brussels.