Savion Glover and the McCoy Tyner trio, Ferst Center for the Arts, Feb. 15

The celebrity tap dancer and movie star Savion Glover was easily the most recognizable name on the stage Friday night at the Ferst Center for the Arts on the Georgia Tech campus. Pianist McCoy Tyner, however, was clearly in charge. Tyner, who, as a young man, accompanied John Coltrane on some of the tenor saxophonist's greatest albums, asserted himself at the keyboard. At the helm of his trio, Tyner took extended solos, punctuating everything he played with a short, accented accompaniment.

Glover, dressed in a black T-shirt, loose-fitting black slacks and bright green tap boots, joined Tyner's regular trio as a soloist, tapping out extended improvisations full of polyrhythms, lackadaisically waving his arms from side to side. His boyish face framed by a heap of dreadlocks and a full beard, Glover wore a permanent grin as he engaged drummer Eric Kamau Gravatt, tapping out a four-bar figure and waiting for a response. When other musicians soloed, Glover, seemingly hovering over the dance floor, played 32nd notes with his shoes.

On a night when the ensemble received a standing ovation many times throughout the concert — including after the second tune of the evening — an encore performance seemed automatic. After saying goodnight, Tyner rose from the piano and shuffled toward the wings. Halfway home, he stopped, turned around and came back for one last song.