Jay Ungar


Jay Ungar is an American folk musician and composer.

Life and career

Ungar was born in the Bronx, New York City. He frequented Greenwich Village music venues during his formative period in the 1960s. In the late 1960s, he became a member of Cat Mother and the All Night News Boys and later, the Putnam String County Band. Although he performs with David Bromberg, he is probably best known for "Ashokan Farewell", composed as a lament, and used as the theme tune to the Ken Burns documentary The [Civil War (documentary)|The Civil War]. Many of his other compositions are familiar as contradance tunes, notably "The Wizard's Walk".
In 1991, Ungar married fellow musician Molly Mason. They met during the 1970s. They continue to perform as a duo, with their band, Swingology, and as the Jay Ungar and Molly Mason Family Band with Jay's daughter and son-in-law, Ruth Ungar and Michael J. Merenda Jr.
In 1992, Ungar and Mason provided the soundtrack to the acclaimed documentary film Brother's Keeper, released as an album entitled Waltzing with You. In 2006, the duo headlined the Northwest Folklife Festival in Seattle.

Discography

With Lynn HardyJay & Lyn: Songs, Ballads & Fiddle Tunes Catskill Mountain Goose Chase
With Molly MasonBrother's Keeper Live At Gettysburg College The Lovers' Waltz The Catskill Collection Harvest Home A Song Of Home ' Relax Your Mind ' The Pleasures Of Winter A Fiddler's Holiday The Quiet Room
With Stephen Foster, Thomas Hampson, Molly Mason, and David AlpherAmerican Dreamer: Songs of Stephen Foster
With Molly Mason and Anjelica HustonRip Van Winkle
With The Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo, Turtle Island String Quartet, and Sally RogersLaments & Dances
With David Levine and Molly MasonDance Of A Child's Dreams '
With Howie Bursen, Molly Mason, and Bob PasquarelloBanjo Manikin
With Fiddle FeverFiddle Fever Waltz Of The Wind
With Putnam String County BandHome Grown
With Cat Mother and The All News BoysThe Street Giveth.. And The Street Taketh Away Albion Doo-Wah... Cat Mother Cat Mother Last Chance Dance
With Ocean'Ocean''

Videography

With Fiddle Fever
With The Transatlantic House Band
  • ''The Original Transatlantic Sessions - Transatlantic Sessions 1''

Compilations

With Stephen Foster, Thomas Hampson, Molly Mason, and David AlpherAshokan Farewell - Beautiful Dreamer: Songs Of Stephen Foster
With Stephen Foster, Charles Tomlinson Griffes, Aaron Copland, Thomas Hampson, David Alpher, Molly Mason, Deborah Voigt, Brian Zeger, and Barbara HendricksSongs; The Rose Of The Night; Eight Poems Of Emily Dickinson
With Aly Bain and othersThe Original Transatlantic Sessions, Volume 1 The Original Transatlantic Sessions, Volume 2
  • ''The Original Transatlantic Sessions, Volume 3''