Jazz is on tap, and the rap...

Jazz is on tap, and the rap is its super. In fact, the Jazz Tap Ensemble, appearing this week at the Westwood Playhouse, got one Noo Yawk Times reviewer to tap out a riff of compliments: “With hard-working nonchalance, the innovative troupe burst open with a virtuosic brilliance. The dancers work in complete integration with the musicians in the Ensemble. As a result, the music becomes as important as the dancing.” People say the writer’s feet moved as fast as his hands when he was typing it. Jazz Tap Ensemble gets you that way. In July, they played Harlem’s Apollo Theatre, with Gregory Hines. After this gig, they’re off to France for the Biennale de la Danse, the world’s largest dance festival. We’ve seen ‘em several times, and each time for a week afterward, worn out twice the usual pair of shoes. But hey, always ready to sacrifice a little sole for a little soul, we’ll go again. Besides, this time in Westwood, Eddie Brown is the guest artist. He’s been dancing for more than 50 years. With Billie Holiday. With Joe Turner. With Dizzy Gillespie. With verve and wisdom. Brown’s famous for his improvisational passages, so he’ll fit right in at JTE, where artistic director Lynn Dally is famous for hiring the best, and letting the spirit flow. Three dancers (including Dally herself) and four musicians make up the troupe. The show will be at 8 p.m. Aug. 23, 24 and 25, at 10886 Le Conte Ave., Westwood Village. Tickets are $18, $14, and $10 for students and seniors who shuffle off and appear a half-hour before curtain time. Box office number is (213) 208-5454.