Rip, Rig and Panic (album)


Rip, Rig and Panic is a 1965 jazz album by saxophonist Roland Kirk. It features a quartet of Kirk, Jaki Byard, Richard Davis, and Elvin Jones ; they were described as "the most awesome rhythm section he ever recorded with". The session was held at Rudy Van Gelder's Englewood Cliffs studio. The set is made up primarily of original Kirk compositions.
The title of the album was explained by Kirk in the liner notes as follows: "Rip means Rip Van Winkle ; it's the way people, even musicians are. They're asleep. Rig means like rigor mortis. That's where a lot of peoples mind are. When they hear me doing things they didn't think I could do they panic in their minds". Kirk made many references to pioneers of jazz. "No Tonic Pres" is a reference to Lester Young; "From Bechet, Byas, and Fats" is a homage to Sidney Bechet, Don Byas, and Fats Waller; and "Once in a While" was inspired by Clifford Brown. Kirk also mentioned the work of Edgar Varèse, the compositions Poeme electronique and Ionisation, as inspiration for the album.
The LP's title later provided the name for 1980s English funk group Rip Rig + Panic.

Reception

The album was well received by jazz critics. Richard Cook and Brian Morton rated the Emarcy edition of the album with the second-highest grade in their Penguin Guide to Jazz; Allmusic awarded the album five stars.

Track listing

All compositions by Roland Kirk except where indicated.
  1. "No Tonic Pres" – 4:34
  2. "Once in a While" – 4:02
  3. "From Bechet, Byas, and Fats" – 6:31
  4. "Mystical Dream" – 2:39
  5. "Rip, Rig & Panic" – 7:00
  6. "Black Diamond" – 5:23
  7. "Slippery, Hippery, Flippery" – 4:56

    Personnel