At the Fifth Annual Village Jazz Alive Awards, honoree Ann Hampton Callaway, far left, was congratulated by Elizabeth Margaritis Butson, former publisher of The Villager. The event, held at Chelsea’s Metropolitan Room, was sponsored by the 200-member Greenwich Village-Chelsea Chamber of Commerce, of which Butson is first chairperson. Butson, the driving force behind the event, presented Callaway with the Village Music Legends Award. “We honor jazz for its pioneering and bold spirit, its American character and its ability to grow, change and innovate,” Butson said. “Jazz is unique in the world of music, a blend of European, African and American music traditions, its style based on improvisation and innovation, call and response, freedom to interpret, to change and personalize. The Village has a long tradition of being a cradle for artistic expression and individualism. In this spirit and in support of jazz in the Village, the Greenwich Village-Chelsea Chamber of Commerce is proud to have launched Village Jazz Alive.”
