Many rhythm-based groups, from tap to hip-hop, make regular appearances on television competitions such as NBC's "America's Got Talent." Though they often run the gamut of skill -- some clunky, some virtuosic -- these groups generally favor showiness over subtlety. So it's always refreshing to experience live the tireless craftsmanship of artists participating in the Chicago Human Rhythm Project's "Rhythm World" concerts.
The eclectic Sunday opening-night program at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park marked the project's 19th year of showcasing the vast range of dancers and musicians dedicated to tap and the percussive arts.
Now a year-round presenting organization, the Chicago Human Rhythm Project -- founded and directed by Lane Alexander -- assembles during the summer a top-notch faculty (including tap greats Dianne Walker, Sam Weber, Jason Samuels Smith and more) to teach master classes to the next generation. These classes culminate in a series of faculty-headlined performances Thursday and Saturdayat the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Though the Pritzker program was more family-friendly than the coming solo and ensemble-based MCA performances, it included tantalizing tastes of stellar talent. New Jersey-born rhythm tapper Jason Janas brought the audience to its feet. A charmingly quirky surfer-dude personality (in love beads and a floral shirt), Janas appeared laid back until his feet exploded into artful machine-gun pops. His multilayered foot percussion added complex nuance to the accompanying jazz music trio led by pianist Vijay Tellis-Nayak.
Broadway and film veteran Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards, also backed by the Vijay Tellis-Nayak trio, triumphed with her flawless ability to write free verse with her tap shoes and compose entirely new phrases and rhythms before our ears.
In addition, Lane Alexander's tap ensemble, BAM!, consistently brought grace, elegance and precision to a more traditional hoofer piece (choreographed by Ted Levy) and a vaudeville-era sand dance. Jakari Sherman, who heads Washington, D.C.-based Step Afrika!, led an impressive group of tap students in a full-out body-percussion jam.
Rhythm World continues at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Saturday at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 200 E. Chicago Ave. Tickets: $25-$30. Call 312-397-4010 or visit mcachicago.org. For more information about the Chicago Human Rhythm Project, call 773-281-1825 or visit chicagotap.org.
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