Description

Between 1978 and 1981 the Nee Ningy Band performed their strange, sweet, surreal music on the folk, college, and festival circuit along an axis between New England and North Carolina. Time magazine (August 1979) even cited them as exemplifying the best of American street music. They played authoritatively in an astonishing variety of traditions: Cajun, Irish, Appalachian, African, English, French, calypso, Tex-Mex, classical, pop, and, of course, blues—playing true “world music” even before there was a term for it. They produced one album, Get Nung, on the famed Biograph label, and a handful of promotional singles. One of the most amazing aspects of their sound is this: no guitar! But the variety of other instruments they played is mind boggling—from harmonicas of all kinds to mandolin, fiddle, washtub bass, flute, kazoo, mandola, pennywhistle, slide whistle, siren, nose flute, cornetto, shahnai, raita, and accordion. And that doesn’t include percussion. Though the musicians—and even the band’s name—might change from gig to gig, the core members were Hohner All-Europe Harmonica Champion Chris Turner; mandolinist and multi-instrumentalist Ted Porter; old-time/Irish fiddler Rachel Maloney; washtub bassist and percussionist Rob VanVeld (and later, Robbie Phillips); and master bodhran player Mance Grady. A note on their name: apparently an elderly man approached them at a festival one time and said, “You know, all that fiddle music sounds the same to me: just a lot of nee-ningy nee-ningy nee-ningy.” And the name stuck. – Bob Hudson

Chris Turner (harmonica all tracks, vocal tracks 1, 7, 9, 11, 14, 20, slide whistle track 5, cornetto track 7), Rachel Maloney (fiddle tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 20, vocal track 9, maracas track 5), Rob VanVeld (tub bass tracks 4, 5, 12 triangle tracks 7, 17, jaw harp track 1, bodhran track 20, vocal track 9), Ted Porter (mandolin tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, mandola track 10, vocal tracks 2, 5, 6, 9, 12, 17), Robbie Phillips (tub bass tracks 2, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 17), Mance Grady (percussion tracks 2, 6, 10, 11, 13, 14, cow bell track 5), Michael Bresler (flute track 5, triangle track 12), Peter Wetzler (accordion track 5), Laura Fortini (laughing track 5), Doug Kent (cello track 20), Simon Shepherd (steel guitar track 20), Steve Joba (viola track 20), Curt Stager (banjo track 20), Leo Lorenzoni (guitar track 20), Jim Coffman (mandolin track 20), Bob Burtman (kazoo track 20).

Additional Notes: The Nee Ningy Band