Review: Charlie Romo Gets The Joint Jumpin' with CAROLING AND CROONING at The Green Room 42

Oftentimes people ponder the question of nature versus nurture. How much of our personality is based on a genetic predisposition and what parts of our proclivities are born out of our systematic exposure to a certain mindset? Many is the man who leans into a fascination with a bygone era, a time of a particular sense of fashion, a spotlight on a specific style of music, an attitude best described as cool, smooth and hip. Charlie Romo is, most definitely, one of those men, and while one suspects that nature has a lot to do with it, it cannot be denied that this man's trajectory as a person and as an artist was informed by his parents and his Poppy, all of whom he discussed (and chatted with from the stage) during his December 10th concert in the urban cabaret space The Green Room 42. With his family on hand to help him celebrate the holidays in style, Mr. Romo demonstrated all the passion that he has for this type of music and, most likely, brings to every performance he does. It's not a far stretch of the imagination to assume that he has built up legions of fans who turn up for all of his concerts if this is the level of quality to be gotten at any Charlie Romo show.

While not a cabaret show, the December 10th performance could definitely be filed under the heading "club act" but it's a club act reflective of the era that Romo intends to evoke. Nattily coutured in his slender red suit and slicked-back hair, Mr. Romo is the very picture of Bobby Darin, and at every turn, his show, his demeanor, his song styling, indeed his entire persona gives the impression of having stepped back in time. The only thing that could have made the evening less of a club act and more of an immersive theater experience would have been lots of cigarette smoke and for the world to have turned, for 75 minutes, into black and white. The December 10th concert was not necessarily a holiday show, though talk of the season was, naturally, on the roster, not to mention a little Christmas music; but if Romo wanted to sell the show to a booking agent throughout the year, he could, even without the expurgation of the Christmas material.

Newcomers to Romo's brand may be a bit startled for the first ten or so minutes, so strong is his commitment to the era being evoked, and they may make the mistake of comparing him to one of those cheesy Las Vegas types spoofed in many movies, comedy and otherwise. Should this thought cross the mind at any point, it is best to dismiss it, for Charlie Romo is no lounge lizard. He might get cheesy at times, but everyone does for one very important reason: cheese is great. People order extra cheese on their burgers, their pizza, and their pasta, so a little cheese in your club act goes a long way. Charlie Romo is not, though, ever insincere. When Charlie Romo is on the stage, his goal is beyond transparent: he is there to honor the greats, to live inside the music, and to entertain his audience - all three, noble goals. His connection to the audience is so exciting it reminds one of the days when David Campbell would hit the stage at the Carlyle singing "Old Friends" while grabbing the hands of guests sitting ringside and singing directly to them. Mr. Romo may take his eyes off the audience from time to time, but only to commune with his band and with the music. Watching Charlie Romo get inside of the music is a display of something not to be seen every day. Many vocalists place much of the emotional content in a song on the lyrics, using the poetry of the words to inform their storytelling; and even though Mr. Romo is fully tapped into the words of the songs, his relationship to the music is so intimate that it becomes visible to the audience that the emotions inspired in the singer derive from a place of deep, abiding love and respect for the notes and the structure of the phrasing created by the composers. It's a rare and beautiful rapport to be permitted to view in action - and beautifully lit, as are all The Green Room 42 shows.

The concert itself was a convivial night of swing music, jazz music, Christmas music, and even a little pop music, and it is in the pop music that this writer found his one and only disappointment in an otherwise flawlessly constructed and executed night of revelry. Mr. Romo has gone to great lengths with his incomparable music director Matt Baker to create a medley of songs to honor The Big Bopper, Buddy Holly, and Richie Valens, and it is absolutely an enjoyable medley. Bookending the medley, however, are the opening and closing verses of the 70's pop classic "American Pie." After more than half a show of hearing Romo's powerful and proficient voice sing all the jazz, the standards, the bop, the swing music, hearing that gorgeous, rich, clear voice start in with Don McLean's epic tune was like nectar to a hummingbird. To have "American Pie" segue, after the opening passage, into Chantilly Lace was an abomination against nature - and even though the "Chantilly Lace/That'll Be The Day/La Bamba" mashup was enjoyable, the upset from having "American Pie" so interrupted left one wondering what it would be like to have Charlie Romo's full, deep, resonating tones wrapped around an entire performance of American Pie. It's something a person can really dream about and hope for. #BigHint

During this concert, musical director Matt Baker shows, once more, why he is so in demand by making the journey right alongside Romo, seeing to it he is never alone, he is always protected and by leading the band with that perfect blend of grace and aplomb for which he is known. Creating sounds so beautiful as to become a joyful noise, the musicians in the Charlie Romo Band are Jon Burr on Bass, Daniel Glass on drums, Jack Cavari on guitar and Matt Chiasson on woodwinds; And if Charlie and his band aren't enough of a treat this holiday season, the much-lauded crooner invited Jeanine Bruen and Kea Chan to join him for some mini-sets of their own. Both of these glamorous girl singers were a little Christmas magic to brighten an already brilliant night of holiday cheer. Each young woman is the proud owner of a prestigious vocal instrument, and whether raising that voice in their solos or in duets with Charlie, they make a truly heavenly choir. Ms. Bruen is especially accomplished when it comes to embodying the emotion of the song (her solo: "River"), while Ms. Chan is well versed in the art of keeping contained in an epic piece of music ("O Holy Night"). Both ladies prove to be harmonious singing partners in bountiful duets with Mr. Romo including "La Vie En Rose" with Bruen and "Unforgettable" with Chan. Whether singing with his guests or during one of the many singalongs encouraged during the evening, Mr. Romo proves he is an entertainer worthy of the praise he has garnered with impeccable performances of everything from "The Wanderer" to "Mack the Knife."

As lively and satisfying as Romo's show was on the 10th (enjoyable enough for this writer to add a Google alert for upcoming performances of his Bobby Darin show) watching his onstage expertise gives rise to the question of whether there might be some untapped potential, some hidden gift deep down inside of Charlie Romo. Seeing the way he connects to the material, the ardor and deference that washes over his face while performing, it is clear that there is more to Romo. There was a time when Matthew McConaughey mostly made comedy movies, usually rather silly ones. One day he did a piece of serious acting, won an Academy award, and people thought of him differently. It is not unfathomable that, one day, Charlie Romo is going to sing a different song from another genre of music and find places inside of himself that even he didn't know existed. On that day, the world will sit up and take notice. It's going to be a heckuva a great journey to watch.

But, Charlie, don't ever stop swingin'. We need you.

Find Charlie Romo on the web at his Website

Find shows to see at The Green Room 42 at their Website

Jeanine Bruen

Kea Chan

Matt Baker

Photos by Stephen Mosher

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