Wally’s Café, a jazz and blues music venue, is among the oldest family-owned and operated jazz clubs in existence, and it’s a hoppin’ place to be on any night of the week.
A hole in the wall jazz club located on Mass Ave., Wally’s hosts one of jazz’s longest running “jam sessions,” happening regularly since 1947. Many of the musicians are professionals, but Wally’s has a tradition of providing students with an open stage to practice and become better musicians and performers.
An attractive thing about this café is the diverse crowd it entices. In the crowd and on the stage there are old timers, new timers, and everyone in between.
If you are a student musician looking to hone your talent on a legitimate and well-known stage, then Wally’s is the perfect spot. But even if you aren’t a musician or student, Wally’s is an amazing place to sit and grab a cup of coffee while enjoying various tunes and genres of different artists.
The red door that serves as the entrance is so inconspicuous that you might miss the musical wonders that are happening inside. Once you enter, whether it is Friday or Tuesday, at 6 p.m. or 2 a.m., you’ll find a crowd in a room with a max capacity of 60 people.
Wally’s is an intimate place where you can either be rubbing elbows with a stranger next to you or enjoying some empty space. If you’re a person who likes their space, I recommended arriving between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. This way, you can grab a table, move around, and even dance if you’d like. If you’re a person who doesn’t mind the lively atmosphere of music lovers packed into a small space, then I would recommend arriving any time after 10 p.m.
If you want great a place to be entertained, then catch the train and get off at either Mass Ave. Station on the orange line or the Symphony Station on the green line and head into Wally’s Café.