Robert Plant / Alison Krauss World Tour

[SteveAJones]

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/apr/18/k...ical-adventure/

Krauss and Plant bonded by a need for musical adventure

By Wayne Bledsoe

Friday, April 18, 2008

Alison Krauss knew she would get along with Robert Plant when the two met and began discussing the music of bluegrass great Ralph Stanley.

Alison Krauss knew she would get along with Robert Plant when the two met and began discussing the music of bluegrass great Ralph Stanley.

Alison Krauss is one of modern music's powerhouses. In the early 1990s, she helped reinvigorate bluegrass both as a vocalist and a fiddler. She followed by crossing boundaries into other styles of music as the mood hit her, without abandoning her original genre. When legendary Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant asked Krauss if she'd be interested in recording an album together, she was undaunted.

"If the kitchen's too hot, get out!" says Krauss with a chuckle. "It was new for both of us. It was not like I was stepping into his world or him into mine. This was new territory."

"Raising Sand," the album that resulted from the duo's collaboration, was widely hailed as one of the best albums of 2007 and was one of year's few true commercial successes.

Krauss and Plant first sang together in 2004 when Plant asked Krauss to sing with him at a Leadbelly tribute show at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Krauss and Plant sang the song "Black Girl," which Krauss says bluegrass fans would know as "In the Pines."

While she didn't think the two blended well on that particular song, she and Plant got along well. She says the first conversation the two had was about bluegrass pioneer Ralph Stanley, whom both she and Plant revere.

A year after the tribute, Plant contacted Krauss and suggested the two make an album together. Krauss knew the two would benefit from an outside producer to make things jell and suggested T-Bone Burnett - the man behind the "O Brother Where Art Thou?" soundtrack, among many other successful projects.

"It really came together when T-Bone sent his ideas for material," says Krauss.

Burnett made some surprising suggestions: Songs by former Byrds member Gene Clark, some odd rhythm and blues songs and one of singer-songwriter Townes Van Zant's saddest songs.

"He made a list of songs and who should sing what, and I called him and said, 'I can't sing that!' He told me, 'Robert called and said the same thing.' Now both of you are scared. That's what I wanted!' "

Both Krauss and Plant added their own suggestions. She recommended the Townes Van Zant song "Tecumseh Valley."

"We recorded it and it was a beautiful track, but it just didn't go with (the rest of the album)," says Krauss.

It ended up being one of three tracks that did not make the final cut.

Plant suggested the songs "Gone, Gone, Gone," "Please Read the Letter," "Fortune Teller" and "Rich Woman."

Krauss and Plant sang a few pure duets, but often one simply backed the other's lead vocals. While she, Plant and Burnett had differences of opinion on who should sing lead on which songs, Burnett told the artists it didn't really matter.

"It was really just all about the mood of the tunes," says Krauss.

Most who heard the disc were surprised by its mood and its sound - maybe even Krauss.

"I didn't have any expectations when we went in to record, and I didn't when we were finished," she says. "The whole thing was very inspired as well as being off the cuff. There just weren't any rules. I felt my job was to show up and sing and be supportive of whatever was going on. … It was all new. I didn't know how people would take it, but I did think it was a romantic record. The feel of it had some romance and mystery, and the sounds of our voices tell a story - just the sound without any words."

To some extent it sounds as if Plant and Krauss are musical kindred spirits.

"He's a great person," says Krauss. "He's inspired by all kinds of music and on a search to find great music and can't wait to be inspired by the next thing that's interesting to him. If you look at all his solo albums, he's searching for something. And this is an interesting stop as well."

And while Krauss does expect to reconvene with her longtime band Union Station sometime after the end of the Krauss/Plant tour (which stretches into October), she's always up for new experiences.

"I love the chance to sing in a different environment. It's interesting to be in that place. It's scary, but exciting. The newness is a real charge."

ROBERT PLANT & ALISON KRAUSS

• With: T. Bone Burnett & Sharon Little
  
• Where: Civic Coliseum
  
• When: 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 22
  
• Tickets: $66, $56, $46, plus service charges; available at all Tickets Unlimited outlets, 865-656-4444.
  

[eternal light]

Krauss and Plant first sang together in 2004 when Plant asked Krauss to sing with him at a Leadbelly tribute show at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Krauss and Plant sang the song "Black Girl," which Krauss says bluegrass fans would know as "In the Pines."

I've heard In The Pines before.

[Stargroves Tangie]

This wouldn't be the same (Leadbelly) song that Nirvana did on their MTV Unplugged show is it? They called it "Where Did You Sleep Last Night".

[Aquamarine]

This wouldn't be the same (Leadbelly) song that Nirvana did on their MTV Unplugged show is it? They called it "Where Did You Sleep Last Night".

Yes, it's the same song, or a variant of it, anyway.

[Stargroves Tangie]

Thanks, Aquamarine. I'm going to check out YouTube to see if the Plant/Krauss perfomance is there.

[Hotplant]

Hmmm. Wonder if Lady Helena made it to the show.....

I hope so.

[SteveAJones]

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/apr/23/k...al-and-magical/

Link provides two full color photos from this concert

Krauss, Plant pairing historical and magical

Renowned singers, band members put on terrific show at Coliseum

By Wayne Bledsoe

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Musicians Alison Krauss and Robert Plant perform at the Civic Auditorium & Coliseum in Knoxville.

Alison Krauss plays the fiddle Tuesday night during her performance with Robert Plant, right, at the Civic Auditorium & Coliseum in Knoxville.

Being at some concerts just feels like a good time. Some feel like musical events. And a very few feel like being a part of musical history.

Tuesday's concert at the Civic Coliseum felt like one of those historical moments.

The concert was the third show by the unlikely combination of legendary Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant and acoustic music diva Alison Krauss. Yet, the show was not only a blending of two of the most distinctive vocalists in music, but a full band of music greats coming together to put on a terrific show.

The key to making the concert work, as it was on the 2007 Plant and Krauss album "Raising Sand," is to throw all expectations out the window. The show featured the moody blend of old-school R&B, rockabilly and country music of the disc and adapted the sound to some surprising numbers.

There was a definite air of graciousness throughout the evening. Neither singer tried to outshine the other. On many songs the two blended their voices into one lead vocal. On others, one singer would gamely add background vocal textures.

Guitarists, and seasoned frontmen in their own right, T-Bone Burnett and Buddy Miller took some turns at vocals, and multi-instrumentalist ace-in-the hole Stuart Duncan had plenty of time to shine as well. The rhythm section, upright bassist Dennis Crouch and drummer Jay Bellerose, provided a solid and tasteful foundation.

While the group performed all the tracks from "Raising Sand," when Duncan kicked off the opening riff to "Black Dog," one of Led Zeppelin's signature songs, on banjo three songs into the set, the audience knew that this was not going to simply be a rehashing of the duo's album. After Duncan's lead- in, "Black Dog" was adapted into a swampy stroll with Plant and Krauss trading vocal lines. Further along, the group performed the Zeppelin songs "Black Country Woman," "Hey, Hey What Can I Do," "The Battle of Evermore" and a terrific version of "When the Levee Breaks," which featured Krauss and Duncan playing twin fiddles.

There was a low-key delicacy about the entire show that was slightly marred by the logistics of putting it on at the coliseum. The hall's boomy sound was in contrast to the intimacy of many of the songs, and Krauss' voice was sometimes met with jarring feedback. Oddly, it was Burnett's two fine numbers, "Bon Temps Rouler" and "Shut It Tight," that worked best in the environment.

While the "event" moments were the Zeppelin numbers, Krauss' rendition of "Green Pastures," followed by a pristine a cappella version of "Valley to Pray" with Plant, Duncan and Miller as a backing trio, was easily one of the show's finest moments. And it was Plant's emotional take on Townes Van Zant's sad "Nothing," that provided the show's most dramatic performance.

There's no telling if Plant and Krauss will collaborate after the current tour. Some magic can happen only once. But being able to witness it as it happens is a wonderful thing.

[SteveAJones]

Knoxville Review by Steve "The Lemon" Sauer courtesy of FBO:

http://lemonsqueezings.blogspot.com/2008/04/ledzeppelinnewscom-review-of-plant.html

Supplement to the Review:

On the road from Knoxville to Chattanooga

Hello, everybody! Currently on the way to the fourth stop on the Plant-Krauss tour after witnessing their "third adventure" last night, as Plant referred to it welcoming the crowd for the first time last night.

I posted a summary of the show online right afterward. It's at www.LedZeppelinNews.com. What I didn't mention there, I will here. The security was painful. Before the show, event staff intimidated the hell out of anybody wanting to smuggle in "cameras of any kind." Such items were prohibited, and a list posted outside the venue also saidno recording equipment of any kind, etc. Well, all they did when you entered the venue was check your tickets. No patdowns or pocket checks, but if you had a purse they gave it a quick once-over. No worries.

Inside the venue, however, goons wearing black "EVENT STAFF" shirts stopped anybody who was obviously using anything electric. So no cellphone shots. No still or video photography. And even me using my BlackBerry to type up some stuff about the show, "No dice, Kenny." A woman silently broadcasting the show to a friend at home via her cellphone was told to hang up. The word "fascism" came to mind. But arguing with these goons over why I couldn't use my BlackBerry was the last thing on my mind. Imagine the conversation that would have transpired:

Goon: "Sir, you have to put that away."

Lemon: "Why?"

Goon: "Because I said so."

Lemon: "Who the hell are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?"

Goon: "I'm the guy who's gonna kick you out of here in 10 seconds ifyou don't put that away."

Lemon:

Goon: "Thought so."

Don't know if that experience was unique to Knoxville, but just a warning for those of you hoping to do anything electric on this tour.

Steve "The Lemon"

More from Wyatt Brake:

As a supplement to The Lemon's report on www.ledzeppelinnews.com, I'm posting my exchange with him to FBO... Steve momentarily couldn't place the lyrics that Robert was throwing into When The Levee Breaks, and I knew that I had noticed while listening to TimD's recording from the first night of the tour and prepared to post about it. Steve nailed it down though - it's Bob Dylan's Girl From [or Of] The North Country:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girl_from_the_North_Country

This is a song that Robert's played at least as far back as 1992 (as far as I know, although it could have been done before that). His 1992 version appears on the Hideaway bootleg with Ramble On, In The Evening, and Babe I'm Gonna Leave You - I believe with members of Fairport Convention. Plant also performed the song with Priory of Brion and at least a few times with Strange Sensation as well.

Knoxville Review from Bruce "The Buckeye" courtesy of FBO:

Hey all

Still recovering from last night's experience. Was really somethingspecial!

Mrs Buckeye and myself got to hang out with Steve the Lemon and his buddy Brad. Had a great mini-Zepfest before the show! The show was the highlight of our Tennessee vacation. I'm sitting in a wonderful cabin looking at the Smokey Mountains as I type. Just got backfrom Dollywood and hitting the Biltmore tomorrow. Okay, enough of that.....

As usual, The Lemon's report was spot-on and I don't have a whole lot to add. The security Nazis were in prime form, right from the start, with a guy outside with a megaphone yelling in everyone's ears that cameras and recording equipment (and fireworks LOL) was not allowed. That didn't deter me from getting my Canon XT smuggled in. I didn't bring any of my longlenses (I didn't want to look like I was THAT happy to be there), but I didn't need them from the 4th row. But getting it in was only half the problem. They were watching close and pounced on anyone with anything that lit up.

I managed to snap some great pics from our vantage point. I put the ISO on 1600, turned off the flash, and stopped down the speed to 1/60 and let the camera chose the aperture. I was very pleased with the results. I shoot in raw format, so I have to wait until I get home to "develop" themi nto jpegs. I'll post them to the group (and Steve, you can use any or all of them). Here are some comments to piggy back off of The Lemon:

The open act - Sharon Little was very very good! Check her out, if youget a chance!

1) Alison is a stunning beauty!! Well, we all knew that, but to see her that close was unforgettable. She was dressed in a white dress that looks like she could get married in. She looked shy at times, especially when someone was doing a solo - she seemed like she didn't know what to do - in contrast to the always busy Robert. But when it came time for Allison to step up to the mic, either to sing or play the fiddle, wow, she was in her prime. She can belt it out and never hit a bum note.

2) Alison had alot of trouble with her in-ear monitor. She was always messing with the receiver hanging on the belt on her behind. I saw her motion to the monitor sound man several times. There were a few times where I thought she wasn't singling the harmonies as loud as she should because I don't think she could hear herself. There was some feedback a couple of times, but from where we were sitting, the mix was very good. The crowd was a bit loud for my tastes, I suppose people's emotions got the best of them. It's going to be hard to get a good recording of these shows!

3) Robert was really enjoying things. His persona was definitely different than from any other time that I saw him. I wouldn't say he was nervous, but I would say that he seems to be thinking about his approach more. I can't quite explain it, but it's like he's not just going through the motions.

4) The show definitely had the Raising Sand feel to it, with the heavy bluegrass flavor, but make no mistake, it ROCKED out - Hey Hey What Can I Dowould be a prime example.

5) Robert still loves the girls. Whenever girls would be dancing in their seats, or isles, Robert would often look at them and smile - and look back at them, later. He made lots of eye contact with the crowd, in general, but he liked the dancing girls with low necklines (me too).

6) Battle of Evermore - WOW. While I think it could be even better, the feel of that song is nothing like I have ever heard live before. It makes you think - what the hell were they smoking in 1977? 100 times better thanany live Zep version. Sandy would be proud!

7) The band is really, really good. There were a couple of tunes where they slightly fell apart (only noticeable to me by watching the expressions on their face) - most of the time they gelled so tightly!

8) When the Levee Breaks - I like the version on the CMT show better. This one had other parts that seemed to take away from the vibe.

9) The interaction between Plant and Krauss was somewhat less that what we see in the CMT show. Their looks at each other were slightly less playful and seemed to be looks of mutual respect. Neither upstaged the other, instead they only complemented each other. Plant seemed to take the lead more on the rockers, Krauss on the bluegrass.

10) T-Bone - my hero!! Robert called him the leader of the band. When T-Bone took center stage for his couple of tunes, as reported, it was bathroom break for alot of people. But they missed out!! I was very impressed, especially with Levez les Bons Temps Rouler. At one point, T-Bone was talking, and he seemed to be really fidgeting with his clothes and his guitar. Don't know if it was too much caffeine or something else! But neither Robert or Allison could have pulled this off without T-Bone. Who'd even a thunk it - let alone pull it off?

Mrs Buckeye is now an official fan, and we may catch them again in Cleveland. signing off -Bruce the Buckeye

Bruce "The Buckeye" Photo Link:

http://www.oldbuckeye.com/IMG_9578b.jpg

[eternal light]

I posted a summary of the show online right afterward. It's at www.LedZeppelinNews.com. What I didn't mention there, I will here. The security was painful. Before the show, event staff intimidated the hell out of anybody wanting to smuggle in "cameras of any kind." Such items were prohibited, and a list posted outside the venue also saidno recording equipment of any kind, etc. Well, all they did when you entered the venue was check your tickets. No patdowns or pocket checks, but if you had a purse they gave it a quick once-over. No worries.

Inside the venue, however, goons wearing black "EVENT STAFF" shirts stopped anybody who was obviously using anything electric. So no cellphone shots. No still or video photography. And even me using my BlackBerry to type up some stuff about the show, "No dice, Kenny." A woman silently broadcasting the show to a friend at home via her cellphone was told to hang up.

Bruce "The Buckeye" Photo Link:

http://www.oldbuckeye.com/IMG_9578b.jpg

And after these graceless exchanges, the band followed with Let the Good Times Roll. Thanks for the review and photo.

[Hotplant]

Wonder why all the pissy fuss over cameras all of a sudden. Wasn't a problem last tour.

hmmmmmmm