Ashokan Farewell - The Abaca String Band

[@stevej.longariello3384]

Beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

[@winstonsmith3070]

Breathtaking. Thank you!

[@karmacounselor]

Thank you for adding the guitar. So beautiful!

[@adeadgbe]

It certainly was the perfect theme for the "Civil War" PBS-TV series. Thank you-

[@jobee9356]

Beautifully played. This piece was composed by Jay Ungar, but not for the PBS series. He and his wife Molly Mason give traditional music and dance workshops in Ashokan NY every summer. At the end of one of these summers in the 1980s, Jay went down to the lake with his fiddle. Out of his melancholy about the ending of the summer came this tune. He took it back to Molly and the rest is history. Funny you should mention Edgar Meyers because I think Jay and Molly may have recorded a CD with him.

[@karmacounselor]

Wow thanks for that. I usually find his video online and play it on my phone at the cemetery when I go visit graves of family who has passed on.

[@ArtificialBanana]

Wonderful!

[@MrJDWillard]

hi Andrew and all - WOW what a beautiful arrangement and great playing Bravo!!

[@conradinhawaii7856]

Beautiful arrangement, beautifully played. The mandolin and contrabass are perfect for this waltz. The highest compliment I can pay you is that your performance is as beautiful as Jay Ungar and Molly Mason's Family Band's original.

[@adeadgbe]

We greatly appreciate your comment!

[@adeadgbe]

I agree about the piece, and thank you for your very kind comment about the performance. Andrew

[@Sticks-of-TNT-tf1tn]

🧨

[@adeadgbe]

Thanks for your comment. I mentioned in the "About" section that it was written in 1982. Jay and I have a mutual friend and when I first did the arrangement I called him and he told me basically the same story you mention except he said he wrote it in his music studio and that it all came out in virtually one take. Of course it's possible that the studio is in the lake, but that would make it a fishy story.

[@conradinhawaii7856]

Andrew Schulman Your friend was correct, Andrew, about Jay composing it at home in one take. And have you heard/seen the version he and Molly performed on the BBC "Transatlantic Sessions" series, with Molly on the contrabass?

[@paullanier8280]

Aaaahaaa. I sea !

[@adeadgbe]

@ArtificialBanana Thank you!

[@adeadgbe]

@MrJDWillard Hey Mr. JD, muchas gracias! Mr. A

[@adeadgbe]

@drviscus Yes, similar idiom.

[@BigSlimJimmy]

This is so beautiful, I am honest in my opinion that this song should replace Taps

[@kotzting]

If I close my eyes I would think that Mr. Ungar was on the violin.

[@drviscus]

reminds me of some edgar myers stuff.

[@chocolatethunder56]

Andrew what is your email adress so i can ask you a few questions