Wally's Café
Keep Jazz Alive in Boston: Wally's Café Jazz Club Inspires Today's Musicians Using Yesterday's Boldness
A Boson cultural staple since 1947, Wally’s Café Jazz Club is the keeper of the city’s rich jazz heritage. Our historic club located at 427 Massachusetts Avenue features live music 365 days a year. Our position in the center of some of the world’s most acclaimed musical institutions means that there’s always an excited energy in the building. You never quite know which musical greats will walk through the door on any given night!
Wally’s Café Jazz Club is the oldest family-owned and operated jazz club in the world!
We believe that the world needs jazz more than ever because of its power to connect people through struggle, pain, and triumph. It’s our mission to make sure that authentic jazz is preserved for future generations to discover.
The Place for Real Live Jazz Music in Boston's South End
Wally’s has endured through the decades. While the world outside our windows has changed colors many times, the smooth, blue notes that pepper the air inside Wally’s have remained the same. Wally’s was founded by a Barbadian immigrant named Joseph L. Walcott in 1947. You might say that Talcott carried jazz with him in his bones as he passed through Ellis Island in 1910. Using all of his savings, Talcott opened Wally’s Paradise at 428 Massachusetts Avenue in 1947. This milestone marked the first time that an African American had owned a nightclub in New England. It wasn’t long before jazz aficionados were rushing to see the most famous bands of the day hit the high notes on the Wally’s stage. Over the years, Wally’s has been the setting of many first dates, first gigs, and first times falling in love with the art of jazz.
People from around the world still pour into Wally’s when they want to hear authentic jazz in Boston. The club is now considered an enduring cultural institution that continuously inspires new generations of musicians. However, Wally’s can only continue to keep the jazz scene alive in Boston with support from its patrons and followers.
Bringing a Piece of Wally's Home: Shop the Collection
Like all live venues, Wally’s Café Jazz Club was hit hard by the pandemic. The decision to “shut off jazz” in Boston for the first time since 1947 was a difficult one for the Wally’s team. However, people worldwide have been keeping the mission of this beloved jazz club alive by shopping at the Wally’s Café Jazz Club store online. The lesson learned is that what Wally’s represents is so much bigger than one building in Boston. Our roaring comeback is possible because of jazz lovers like you!
The Wally’s Café Jazz Club makes it easy to get a piece of jazz memorabilia from one of the country’s oldest jazz clubs. The online collection includes shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, notebooks, totes, coffee mugs, phone covers, and much more! These items provide a great way to show off your support of the national jazz scene. They also make great gifts for the jazz lover in your life looking to connect with the history of the American jazz scene on a deeper level.