There’s no question that Cologne has a lot of culture to offer. This does not include the famous carnival, week after week we can experience legendary moments in the city on the Ring. At the forefront is Germany’s oldest jazz bar: Papa Joe’s jazz bar “Em Streckstrump” is known nationwide among jazz fans, celebrities and night owls. Here you can experience Cologne’s music and bar culture – we’ll tell you what you need to know before your visit.
Over 50 years of daily jazz music
The jazz bar was founded in 1974 by Josef Wilhelm “Papa Joe” Buschmann, who had previously run musical venues in Cologne. Right from the start, everything here revolved around live music: to this day, bands perform every day without interruption. So whether you want to experience jazz, blues, swing or soul, funk and Latin jazz, you’ll find live music here – always! There are even two concerts a day on Sundays.
It’s not without reason that this special bar attracts real greats. Papa Joe’s “Em Streckstrumpf” has hosted Udo Lindenberg, Otto Waalkes, Helge Schneider, David Hasselhoff, Willi Millowitsch, Guido Westerwelle, Heino and many more. Who knows, you might even bump into a celebrity during your visit… The bar has also long been known internationally: Every jazz musician on the road in Cologne wants to perform there at some point.
Until his death in 2015, Papa Joe Buschmann himself regularly sat at the piano and became a local legend. Today, his sons Marcus and Michael Buschmann continue to run the cult venue. The jazz bar is so popular because you don’t have to pay admission. Instead, there is a slightly higher price for drinks. A 0.4 liter Papa Joe’s beer, for example, costs 4.80 euros. However, this is also how the bar finances its musicians.
Quirky details are guaranteed during your visit
Papa Joe’s is also famous for its quirky little things: The peanuts are free and the shells traditionally end up on the floor. Crumbling is expressly permitted here. The quaint interior is also more than worth seeing. It combines instruments, a “Papa Joke” joke machine (you can have one of 500 jokes read out to you by inserting a coin) and an in-house cocktail machine that mixes cocktails automatically. The in-house newspaper “Papa Joe’s Kunst & Bierblatt” has been providing regular information about the bands and the program for decades.
Since it was founded 50 years ago, the jazz bar has hosted a total of around 17,000 concerts. A counter at the entrance counts every single concert. It’s worth arriving early to discover this special jazz bar in Cologne, as the popular venue fills up quickly. The pub in the middle of the old town can accommodate 120 visitors. Stop by and see for yourself: Papa Joe’s jazz bar “Em Streckstrumpf” is located at Buttermarkt 37 and is open every day from 7 pm to 2 am.