‘Jazz Tap Jam’ Finds Groove in Old, New

Reuniting what artistic director Lynn Dally called “friends and family,” the Jazz Tap Ensemble hosted a varied, celebratory “Jazz Tap Jam” on Saturday at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre.

Nostalgia loomed large when Dally danced a “Blues” improvisation with JTE co-founder Fred Strickler (who went freelance after seven years) and “A Short Boogie” with former colleague Linda Sohl-Donnell (who now heads Rhapsody in Taps).

In an evening showcasing many kinds of solo virtuosity, the intricacy and steadiness of Strickler’s high-speed tapping in “Eddie’s Bounce” and “Nica’s Dream” proved outstanding--as did Sohl-Donnell’s percussive precision in “Seven Steps to Heaven” and “Footprints.”

Musicality also distinguished the “C-Jam Blues” by newcomer Becky Twitchell, who seemed to venture her most spectacular footwork while moving backward. In contrast, Lainie Manning’s “Bolivia” used tap sparingly, with splashy turns and lots of vibrant show-dance presentation often her primary focus.

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Dally explored her dramatic sense of dynamic contrasts in an artful new solo, “Slydin’ Into Latin.” Denise and Angel Pennington (mother and daughter) contributed an uneventful “Samba” and returned in gospel drag for “Testifyin,’ ” whimsically depicting tap as an adjunct to prayer.

The Caravan Project (the JTE youth group) generated the most powerful rhythmic engine of the evening in Mark Mendonca’s unaccompanied “Question Mark.” Besides Jerry Kalaf and Eric Ajaye (fine JTE regulars), the band boasted the very elegant pianism of Rich Eames on this special occasion.