Sunday, November 9, 2025 at 2:00 PM to Sunday, November 9, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Healing Force of the Universe, Pasadena
In 2021, during the COVID lockdowns, tap dancer **Melinda Sullivan** and Grammy-nominated jazz pianist **Larry Goldings** began collaborating after posting an improvisational version of Somewhere for a virtual family gathering. The video resonated widely, drawing attention from jazz musicians, tap dancers, and fans, with figures like Sheila E., Robert Glasper, and Questlove joining the conversation. As restrictions eased in 2022, the duo took their work to the stage, blending jazz, funk, commercial dance, and underground tap. Their inventive sound quickly built a following on Instagram and Patreon, with audiences seeking improvised performances across Southern California. Their work revives the jazz-tap tradition, which emerged in the 1920s as both forms evolved in parallel—cemented by Shuffle Along in 1921 and popularized at venues like The Cotton Club. Though the art form had faded from mainstream visibility since the early 2000s, Goldings and Sullivan have sparked renewed interest. Goldings calls Sullivan “a great jazz instrumentalist,” while journalist Allen Morrison described their sound as “a new kind of jazz piano trio,” with Goldings on piano and synth bass and Sullivan providing percussion on a portable board. Their debut album, *Big Foot*, was released in August 2024 on Colorfield Records. Doors 2 PM $20 adv (+DICE fees) adults, $10 kids under 12, free ages 2 and under. Tickets checked at the door.