| Background | person |
|---|---|
| Birth place | Washington, US |
| Instrument | Bass Guitar, Violin |
| Current member of | Jay and Molly |
| Spouse | Jay Ungar |
Molly Mason is an American musician and composer who performs as the duo Jay & Molly with her husband Jay Ungar. Jay's composition, Ashokan Farewell, became the title theme of Ken Burns' The Civil War [1] on PBS. The soundtrack won a Grammy and Ashokan Farewell was nominated for an Emmy.[2]
Mason grew up in Washington state.[3] She plays traditional American fiddle and acoustic bass guitar. She is married to Jay Ungar, whom she had first met during the late 1970s in Beacon, New York while performing. Jay & Molly continue to perform as a duo, with their band, Swingology, and as the Jay Ungar and Molly Mason Family Band with Jay's daughter Ruth Ungar (her mother is Lyn Hardy) and Ruth's husband Michael Merenda.
In 1992, Ungar and Mason provided the soundtrack to the acclaimed documentary film Brother's Keeper, released as a music CD entitled Waltzing with You (1998).[4]
They have contributed soundtracks to several of Ken Burns documentaries.[5]
They have performed on Great Performances, A Prairie Home Companion, All Things Considered.[6][7] They have also performed at the White House for two sitting Presidents, as well as having performed for Jimmy Carter after his term.[8]
In 2006, they headlined the Northwest Folklife Festival in Seattle.
References
- ^ The Civil War: About the music. PBS
- ^ Jay Ungar & Molly Mason Biography. Mike Green & Associates
- ^ "About Jay & Molly". Jay Ungar & Molly Mason. Retrieved 2026-05-12.
- ^ "Jay Ungar & Molly Mason". FLi Artists. Retrieved 2026-05-12.
- ^ Molly Mason IMDb
- ^ Jay & Molly NPR Music. January 23, 1997
- ^ All Things Considered interview jayandmolly.com
- ^ "Jay & Molly: Connecting People to the Past via Music | Discover Jersey Arts". www.jerseyarts.com. 2020-01-08. Retrieved 2026-05-12.
- Catskill Cultural Center Saved, and Renewed, Thanks to a Fiddler’s Tune By Dennis Gaffney. The New York Times. May 12, 2013
External links
- Jay Ungar & Molly Mason
- Folk Alley Sessions: Ashokan Farewell, Kent State University, Ohio, 2011.
- Jay Ungar (fiddle) & Molly Mason (guitar, piano) - Ashokan, Fiddle Hell Online Jam #27 July 12, 2020