Chris Albertson was born in Reykjavík and educated in Iceland, Denmark and England. His lifelong interest in jazz was sparked in 1947, when he happened upon a Bessie Smith recording on the Danish radio. In 1957, Albertson immigrated to the U.S. where he has devoted his years to a pursuit of jazz knowledge. He was a Contributing Editor for Stereo Review, hosted radio and television shows, and received numerous awards, including two Grammys for his work as a record producer. The author of countless liner notes and magazine articles, Albertson’s 1972 biography of Bessie Smith was adapted for television by HBO in 2014.
