Kim Plainfield & Lincoln Goines "Night and Day"
CD Review by Shamira

"Power, Beauty, Soul." I recently read that on an Aston Martin website and immediately thought "Wow, that describes Kim's drumming." Seriously, if I could choose only three words to represent the mastery of Kim Plainfield, those would do it. I could add to them, but why even bother. Just go to any thesaurus, type in one of those three words and see for yourself. There isn't a single added glowing noun or adjective that wouldn't apply. Yes, he is Just. That. Good.

The first time I heard Kim play, many years ago, was mind blowing. I was still a baby percussionist, singer, dancer, ok maybe a little full of myself. Then came...The Humbling. But wait, it's all good.

Somehow lucky me we ended up in a band together and I got to experience the exhilaration of rehearsing and performing with him. That sound! That drive!! Those wild yet precise-as-a-razor fills while never wavering on the pulse of the whole. Oh my god. You would think I might have been terrified once I realized I was in the presence of such artful command, someone who REALLY knew what he was doing, but here's the thing - he never made me feel that way. Instead, he coached and coaxed, led by example and generosity, and brought out the best in the entire band. So my humbling experience, rather than being painful or humiliating, was instead illuminating and elevating and made me a much better musician. I am forever grateful.

So, you know how it is, bands come and go, musicians move on, people lose touch, etc. Fast forward into the present. And who should appear out of the blue, but pure KP Gold. KPG with a new CD, I should say. And I'm here to review it for you! I'm sure by now you've figured out that I am a crazed fan when it comes to Kim Plainfield, but guess what, it doesn't matter. No matter what I say about his playing is the truth, and any musician in the know will back me up (unless they're deaf or jealous).

"Night and Day," you are the one. Well, you are the ones. Kim Plainfield and Lincoln Goines have put together an awesome CD with awesome players. We have: Kim Plainfield, drums and keyboards; Lincoln Goines, bass; Dan Carillo, guitar; Myra Casales, percussion (it could have been me, dammit, I never should have stopped playing!); Mino Cinelu, percussion; Bill Connors, guitar; Rudy Eisenhauer, guitar; Alex Foster, sax; Adam Holzman, keyboards; Didier Lockwood, 6-string violin; Jon Lucien, vocals; Bill O'Connell, piano; Pat Thrall, guitar.

Whew, I'm out of breath. And you will be breathless too as soon as you hear them. If you think Kim comes in blazing on drums to wow you on the first note, think again. Here's something my dad always said: "People who really have money don't have to talk about it."

Track 1, "Boat People," starts with a beautiful interchange of piano, sax, and percussion. It really is so lovely. It will put you in a mood, a nice mood, pretty and peaceful. This goes on for over a minute, the players have taken me to the sweetest lake on a warm spring day. Did I already say beautiful? It bears repeating. Beautiful. Then comes...YOWZA!! There it is, that unmistakable sound, so clean and crystal, so hits-you-in-the-gut phat, so full of Power, Beauty, and Soul. And that's just the 2-bar drums before the rest of the band joins back in. After that, enjoy the ride, but keep your seat belt on. These players are skilled experts in both the art of individual showcase and ensemble and they're here to prove it. Just to warn you, starting at about 7:03 until the end, 55 seconds later, your head will be spinning. Try not to get whiplash.

Track 2 is "Bright Boy." This could be my favorite track. It's just so funky and sexy and wild. The guitar solo nails it, play that funky music white boy! And Kim brings a freaking CLINIC to this piece!! Kim, you are a GOD.

Track 3 is the title track, "Night and Day." You might think an old standard like this couldn't possibly sound different or unique, but the arrangement is just that - new, fresh, modern and surprising. Excellent piano and guitar flights and the smooth vocals by Jon Lucien round out this classic. You can tell they had a great time. Kim keeps everybody up on their toes. That's just the fact, Jack.

Track 4, "Mika's Dream," is definitely going on my next Driving Music mix. This makes me want to take a road trip. It's short, but still very satisfying. No, I take that back, I wish it was longer, especially the guitar solo. "Mika's Dream" will make you feel nostalgic with some unnamed emotion. Before you can put your finger on it, it's over. There's a hint of sweet poignance in Lincoln's bass. Don't ask me what I mean by that, just see if you feel the same way. The pianist feels it. Who's Mika? Maybe that would explain it.

Track 5, "Blue Eagle Blues," heralds in with a drum/bass duet. It's obvious that Kim and Lincoln have been playing together for years. Lincoln, you lucky boy. Oh yeah, and you sound great too. I would have mixed you a little higher, that's all. This is a very cool track. It's got that whole fusion jazzy thingy going on and moves constantly forward. I like the soprano solo, like an eagle catching an updraft, it's austere but with a steady push in the background and you get to hear the percussionist more. They are all so good together!

Track 6 "Funktazzmo Reacto." Yeah baybee. Want to learn exactly how to open on drums? Study this one. And check out that perfecto Pat Thrall guitar solo - he's dancing it. What's that thing they say: Dance like nobody's watching. Put this on your next Party Mix and bring out the Johnnie Walker Black. [Kim told me that he once had to shovel his car out of snow with a cymbal. That has nothing to do with my review, I just thought it was a good story.]

Track 7, "Monte Cristo." Damn, this is GOOD SHIT. Remember the part where I talked about Kim's precision, pulse, drive? Here you go. This track will define that for you better than any words could. The pianist, guitarist, and percussionist all shine. Shiny. I'm impressed with the pianist's sense of rhythm, he's a bold playah. As is the guitarist. This track BURNS. You must check out the live version on www.kimplainfield.com too. Go right now, monster drum solo, totally different ending. GO!

Track 8, "Commando's Search." WOOOOO!!! Wait til you hear the first 15 notes. Holy crap. There's a gorgeous bass solo about halfway through. And another astounding drum solo. GAWD! The man is an endless supply of creativity and control of craft. Timing? Perfect. Sound? Killer. Dangerous? You bet. Did I mention that I'm a fan?

The final track, 9, is "Guapa" and features Didier Lockwood on that 6-string violin. He's wicked amazing. But at the risk of repeating myself ad obnoxium, it's the drummer that smokes this track. "Guapa" sounds like a possible homage to Weather Report, but trust me, this is no tribute band. More like.. Weather Report: The Next Generation, boldly going where WR would have gone if they were still together.

And there you have it. The band just got back from a tour in Italy, Germany, Switzerland and France. I wish I could have been in the audience, but then all that ecstasy might have left me in a coma.

"Night and Day" is available direct from Kim Plainfield.
Downloads of the complete CD or individual tracks
may also be purchased.