CATSKILL MOUNTAIN WALTZES AND AIRS

This is Jay Ungar & Molly Mason's long awaited book of 62 original waltzes and airs with chord symbols. The tunes cover a wide range of moods, tempos, and styles. There's a short paragraph about each tune and some illustrative photographs as well. The collection includes "Ashokan Farewell,"The Lovers' Waltz,"Love of My Life,"The Snowstorm," and 58 more, many of which have never been published or recorded before. Jay Ungar & Molly Mason have become one of the most celebrated duos in the American acoustic music scene. Millions were entranced by the music they did for Ken Burns' PBS documentary The Civil War. Their performance of the series' signature tune, Jay's haunting composition "Ashokan Farewell," earned the couple international acclaim. The soundtrack won a Grammy and "Ashokan Farewell" was nominated for an Emmy. This simple, but powerful melody was originally inspired by the week-long Fiddle & Dance Camps that Jay & Molly run for musicians and dancers at Ashokan Center in the Catskill Mountains. People attend the camps to become better fiddlers, guitarists, mandolin players, percussionists, dancers, dance callers and instructors-becoming links in the chain that helps pass our folk legacy from the people who came before us to those who will follow.The 62 original tunes in Catskill Mountain Waltzes & Airs were largely inspired by the musical styles and idioms that are featured at Jay & Molly's Fiddle & Dance Camps. The flavors range from Celtic to Western, New England to Eastern European, Scandinavian to French Musette and many more.