Head of the Charles Bar Guide

For Boston jazz lovers who think they have to take the Metroliner to New York to hear good music, Wally's is the answer. In fact, with little else to offer, this South End goes to show that a little good jazz can go a long way.

First, the bad news: the bar itself is unimpressive--even uncomfortable. Drinks are expensive (prices vary depending on the act), and they do not serve any beers on tap. Most of the patrons squeeze, strain, and sweat in the tiny space between the tables and the bar to get some elbow room and a good view of the band. The band plays at the end of this narrow corridor as people push past them to use the bathroom.

Now, the good news: the music is very impressive. Wally's serves up different fare throughout the week: Monday is Blues Night, Tuesday and Wednesday have fusion jazz, Thursday latin jazz, and the weekend offers straight-ahead jazz. Eager musicians--most of whom are Berklee College students--overcome the adversity of the ambience with inspired performances. The sight and sound of a saxophonist riffing the roof off is often enough to make patrons forget about the guy with bad breath breathing in their ear. Now for more good news: Wally's plans to expand into the space next door before the end of the year. Needless to say, a bar with music this good could easily handle a little less "intimancy" and a little more space.

Wally himself, who opened the bar over 50 years ago, passed away only a few months ago. The legacy he left to the Boston jazz scene cannot be underestimated and, as he listens to Armstrong and Gillespie in Heaven, he can be certain that his time on earth was well spent.