Mid-Nite Oil – Eli "Lucky" Thompson

Lucky in 3! Mid-Nite Oil is a great example of how easily Lucky Thompson's distinctive rhythmic feel and light touch translate to 3/4 time. This song has quite a long form—AABC with 16-measure A and C sections and a 24-measure bridge, plenty of time for all the melodic elegance and harmonic subtlety of Lucky's signature style. The melody is bouncy and conversational, covering a wide range; the bridge melody is quite bluesy, contrasting with the A section's major tonalities. The A section changes go through a descending series of key centers: B♭, A, and A♭ with a somewhat unexpected return to B♭. The beginning of the bridge has pedal-like rhythm section hits, alternating B♭7sus and B♭7 and twice shifting up to C7.

There is a 16-measure intro with the rhythm section entering one by one: first the drums (cymbal only) for four measures, then four measures adding a bass vamp, and eight measures with rhythmic piano figures over the same vamp. This intro is shown in all our lead sheets. The ending vamps shifting harmonies over a bass pedal alternating B♭ and F.

Solos on the recording use 24-measure B♭ blues changes. However, as with many Lucky Thompson songs, the head changes work just as well for soloing.