"There are a lot of varieties to our music," Romano said last week. "We play Salsa, Cuban rhythms, and give them a good groove. There is a lot of improvisation as well. The music just seems to take care of itself."
Since school let out for the summer, Romano and his band have been performing all over the place. They recently had an extended gig at Club Macanudo, a ritzy cigar bar on 63rd Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan.
"They had an Emmy party there for the TV show, 'The View,'" Romano said. "I got to meet and play for Barbara Walters and Sarah Jessica Parker. It was very exciting."
ClassJass also played at the Remy Restaurant on 53rd Street, in the atrium of the Warner Brothers building. "We get our share of nice gigs during the summer," said Romano, who helped to form the group five years ago. "We're a group of music teachers who have some time in the summer. That was the main idea in getting music teachers in the band, so we can have time to do other things, like recording."
Romano handles the business end of the band and also organizes their performance schedule. So it makes all the sense in the world that he makes sure that he books one special gig every year - as part of the Weehawken Cultural Arts Committee's Summer Concert Series.
For the past decade, the township of Weehawken has given its residents - and friends - a chance to enjoy the magnificent backdrop of the Manhattan skyline while also listening to the music of some talented performers. Summer concerts are held every Sunday night, beginning at 6 p.m., at three different sites throughout the town. Also, beginning next month, there will be the Big Band concert series every Thursday night at Lincoln Harbor Park, which also draws its share of good crowds. Those concerts begin at 7 p.m.
Closing out
Romano's ClassJass will close out the Sunday night concerts on August 19 at Hamilton Plaza. It is also the day after Romano's 44th birthday, so there are many reasons why he looks forward to that concert more than any other he'll perform this summer.
"This concert puts me in a different light, being outside the classroom," Romano said. "I look forward to it every year, because there are so many people there who know me. The kids get to see me at the keyboard, playing with the band. The parents get the chance to see me as well, as well as the senior citizens that we perform Christmas concerts for."
Added Romano, "I've always loved outdoor concerts, because it gives you a chance to commune with nature. We've played outdoor festivals in Hoboken and Jersey City, but this is the most beautiful spot, with the New York skyline in the background. I really love that venue. Then, you feel the excitement of the applause, coming from kids, adults, seniors who all know me. That's a wonderful feeling."
Romano, who has been teaching in the Weehawken system for the last 12 years, also calls upon the services of band members Jesus Garcia, a West New York teacher who handles the woodwinds, and Jose Serrano, a bass guitarist who owns his own music academy in Newark.
"We're all professional musicians," Romano said. "But we make sure that we play Weehawken."
Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner believes that the Summer Concert Series is a vital part of the township's culture and recreation activities.
"The concerts have been going on for many years now and they are very significant to us," Turner said. "It gives the residents a full range of entertainment, highlighting the different sections of the town. It gives everyone an opportunity to enjoy the summer evenings while listening to some nice music. It also showcases Weehawken and what it has to offer. The Thursday concerts are a nice way to break up the week and the Sunday concerts are a great way to close out the weekend. It gives the town life."
PaineWebber, Hartz Mountain Industries, NY Waterway, the Lincoln Harbor restaurants and the township sponsor the Big Band concerts. The township funds the Sunday concerts.
Some seats are provided at each venue for the concerts, but residents are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs just in case.
The Sunday concert series continues tonight with the Richard Reiter Quartet performing at Old Glory Park, beginning at 6 p.m.
The rest of the Sunday series is as follows:
• July 22: Luigi and Arlette, performing at 525 Gregory Ave.
• July 29: The Grady Stone Quartet, at Hamilton Plaza
• August 5: Fernando Mercado, at Old Glory Park
• August 12: Gordon James Quartet, at 525 Gregory Ave.
• August 19: ClassJass, featuring Piero Romano, Hamilton Plaza
The Big Band concert series is as follows:
• August 2: Tony Corbisello Orchestra
• August 9: A Tribute to Benny Goodman
• August 16: Joey Dee and the Starlighters
• August 23: A Tribute to the Glenn Miller Orchestra
• August 30: The John Christian Orchestra
Romano is appreciative of the chance to play Weehawken.
"It's really a great thing," Romano said. "The music in the parks, with the Big Bands down below in Lincoln Harbor. We need to bring music to everyone out there and this is a great opportunity."
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