Boxley’s may have closed its restaurant doors in late April, but the mission of JazzClubsNW (sponsored by Boxley Music Fund) to support live jazz music and education in the Snoqualmie Valley [and beyond] will be continuing thanks to a unique partnership with Piccola Cellars – and some remodeling of the old North Bend firehouse.
According to JazzClubsNW Executive Director Gregory Malcolm, they will work with Piccola Cellars, which currently operates a winery and tasting room out of the old firehouse on 2nd Street in downtown North Bend, to expand and remodel more former firehouse bays into new performance space.
With the partnership agreement, the City of North Bend will increase the amount of old firehouse space that it currently leases to Piccola Cellars from two firehouse bays to four – so long as the Jazz Club operates out of the facility. The City of North Bend is very supportive of the Jazz Club as it brings two big music festivals each year to North Bend, something it says stimulates the local economy.
JazzClubNW and Piccola will be making various improvements to the space to eventually create a restaurant inside the winery. In the meantime, though, musical instruments have been relocated from Boxley’s and live jazz music is up and running in Piccola’s family friendly tasting room during Thursday Evening Jazz sessions, which will continue weekly until the new performance space is ready.
This Thursday, May 19th, will feature JazzClubsNW’s “Pro-Am Big Band,” a group of talented regional professionals and local students who have been meeting monthly since October 2015 to demonstrate the best that JazzClubNW’s jazz mentorship and education programs have to offer. The group hits the Piccola Cellars stage from 7:30PM – 9:30PM.
And here’s a perk – Boxley Music Fund/JazzClubsNW premium members receive 50% off their first two beverages during the performance.
JazzClubNW Executive Director Malcolm said they’re looking forward to completing ‘Phase 1’ of their new performance space in late June – and will be sure to keep the community posted about their progress.
Wine, jazz (plus a restaurant soon) and community all inside an old firehouse…. yes, it seems to work. Boxley’s musical tradition will live on in North Bend.
For more information about JazzClubsNW (Boxley Music Fund) visit www.jazzclubsnw.org
