By Scott Barbarino***Last year, at the 39th MAC Awards, our inaugural MAC/NiteLife Exchange Barry Levitt Jazz Award was presented to jazz singer Marianne Solivan. It’s our honor and pleasure to present the second annual Barry Levitt Jazz Award this year on Monday, March 23 to two very talented jazz performers, pianist Joe Alterman and vocalist Vicki Burns.
We not only pay homage to Barry, aka “The Mensch”—pianist, arranger, composer, conductor, orchestrator and “musical director at large in ”—but we seek to help further great artistry as he did. Marianne Solivan is a talented jazz vocalist and songwriter. She’s currently touring and releasing new music, including her latest single “Kiss and Run.” 
Her music style blends jazz with other genres, showcasing her powerful, warm and expressive voice. Here’s the impact the award has had on Soliivan, who also just released a well-received new album, Break’s Over:
“Receiving the Barry Levitt Jazz Award from NiteLife Exchange last year was truly uplifting and felt like a beautiful moment of recognition along a path I’ve been steadily building for many years. This past year has been full of continued creative momentum — touring with my quartet, recording, and releasing new music, including our recent single Kiss and Run with Brandon McCune, Steve Wood, and Jay Sawyer. It’s been exciting to share this music with audiences, and I’d love for listeners to check it out and follow along as more releases unfold. Alongside performing, I’ve also been growing JazzVox Studios, my workshop and private lesson space for singers looking to deepen their artistry and connection to this music. Building this learning community has been deeply rewarding, and I’m excited to continue expanding these offerings.”
Find out about this year’s award winners, Joe Alterman and his artistry here; and Vicki Burns, and her vocal talent here. We look forward to seeing you at the 40th MAC Awards on Monday, March 23.
