Wally’s has held down its stretch of Massachusetts Avenue in the South End since 1947, making it one of the oldest family-run jazz clubs in America — founded by Barbadian immigrant Joseph Walcott as the first Black-owned nightclub in New England, and run by his grandchildren today. The room is long, narrow, and famously no-frills, holding fewer than a hundred people.

Music happens nightly, much of it fueled by young players from Berklee and the conservatories sitting in alongside seasoned locals — the jam-session tradition is the club’s beating heart. Come early to get in, expect to stand close, and don’t expect polish; expect the real thing. Essential for jazz heads, and a living piece of Boston history for everyone else.