Rip, Rig and Panic (album)

Rip, Rig and Panic is a 1965 jazz album by saxophonist Roland Kirk. It was recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's studio by a quartet of Kirk, Jaki Byard (piano), Richard Davis (bass), and Elvin Jones (drums); they were described as "the most awesome rhythm section he ever recorded with". The set is made up primarily of original Kirk compositions.

Contents

• Rip rig and panic you re my kind of climate 12 inch mix
• Rip rig and panic do the tightrope 12 inch version
• Reception
• Track listing
• Personnel
• Songs
• References

The title of the album was explained by Kirk in the liner notes as follows: "Rip means Rip Van Winkle (or Rest in Peace?); 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 a lot of 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 (with Neneh Cherry).