Real Twin Peaks 2024 - Twin Peaks Quartet at Boxley's

One of the hidden gems during the Real Twin Peaks 2024 event in Snoqualmie Valley, Washington was the Twin Peaks Quartet at Boxley’s in North Bend. I’ve loved jazz from the moment I picked up a saxophone in grade school. While in college, I hosted a Sunday night radio program featuring jazz and blues (along with an occasional track from the Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me soundtrack). I was cautiously optimistic entering the popular Northwest jazz club. Would they actually play music from Twin Peaks? An hour later after music filled the air, I left wanting to hear more.

BOXLEY’S JAZZ CLUB IN NORTH BEND

The brainchild of Danny Kolke, Boxley’s Jazz Club has been a staple in the North Bend community for years. The venue originally opened in the location where the Iron Duck is now located. At a young age, Danny fell in love with playing the piano. At age 14, started playing piano with an evening big band at the local community college. When his school district went on strike for an extended period of time, he dropped out at age 16 and enrolled in Edmonds Community College full time, pursuing music. By 19, he was produced his first trio album entitled “A New Meaning” which KPLU 88.5, a local Jazz radio station, put into rotation. “Die Augen” was a popular track from that first album.

It was a struggle to earn a living playing jazz, especially while being under 21. He stopped playing and started a software company, caught up in the dot com bubble of 1999. Along the way he still dreamed of playing jazz and opening a jazz club. Danny told this dream to a realtor friend who suggested purchasing the restaurant location in 2009. Boxley’s opened and quickly became the a popular spot. Downbeat Magazine voted it “One of the best Jazz clubs in the world” between 2011-2016.

Boxley’s moved a few locations in North Bend. In addition to the Iron Duck location, the venue was also found at the former Wildflower’s 2nd Street location that is now Pro Ski and Mountain Service. In 2019, Kolke moved Boxley’s to their current spot at 228 W North Bend Way, adjacent to the Hartwood Cafe. The club is part of JazzClubsNW, a nonprofit organization started in 2010 that is dedicated to supporting live jazz performance and educational opportunities in our region.

TWIN PEAKS QUARTET

When the Real Twin Peaks 2024 website posted that a Twin Peaks Quartet would be playing at Boxley’s, my heart skipped a beat. Angelo Badalamenti and Julee Cruise’s music from Twin Peaks was my gateway to the show. I listened religiously to the soundtrack on vinyl weeks before I watched the pilot episode. Jazz and Twin Peaks go hand-in-hand. Badalamenti’s use of keyboards, drums, bass and saxophone basically mirrored the quartet that would be playing on February 23, 2024 starting at 8:00 p.m.

The first few notes floated through the air – it was the “Twin Peaks Theme (Falling).” Wait – is this actually happening?!

For the next hour, the audience was treated to a dynamic mix of Twin Peaks music and a few jazz standards. The video above only contains the Twin Peaks songs. I also included their cover of Radiohead’s “Creep,” which they mixed in “Laura Palmer’s Theme” toward the song’s end.

The entire set list included:

Set 1:
01. Twin Peaks Theme
02. On Green Dolphin Street
03. Audrey’s Dance
04. What Is This Thing Called Love?
05. The Nightingale
06. Collard Greens And Black-Eyed Peas

Set 2:
01. Twin Peaks Theme (excerpt)
02. Airegin
03. Laura Palmer’s Theme
04. Giant Steps
05. Creep
06. Audrey’s Dance

WHO ARE THE TWIN PEAKS QUARTET?

During a short break, I learned from Bass player Michael Glynn that this group had only recently learned the music. There was a different band leader that was supposed to be in attendance that night, but he had a conflict. They had never played this set prior to the evening’s performance. It was a “one-night only” thing – though I’m begging for them to return in February 2025.

As mentioned, that’s Michael Glynn on Bass. He’s been playing since age 16.

Eric Verlinde played piano. He is a highly trained piano accompanist whose music can be described as “pure, creative, superbly structured and melodic.”