Robert Plant and Alison Krauss received the highest honours at last night’s Grammy Award ceremony in LA, when ‘Raising Sand’ was named Album of the Year and “Please Read The Letter” won Record of the Year.

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss on amazon.com

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss on amazon.co.uk

The duo also took home awards for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals for “Rich Woman”, Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for “Killing The Blues” and Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album for ‘Raising Sand’.

Last year Robert and Alison received a Grammy for their single “Gone Gone Gone” in the only category they were eligible for.

Last night they performed “Rich Woman” and “Gone Gone Gone” with producer/bandleader and fellow Grammy winner T Bone Burnett along with a stellar cast of musicians including Buddy Miller, Dennis Crouch and Jay Bellerose.

T Bone Burnett as producer and Mike Piersante as engineer/mixer also received Grammys for Record of the Year and Album of the Year.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Myspace

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Official Website

Good afternoon. With the Grammy’s taking place next week (February 8, 2009) and Robert Plant & Alison Krauss announced to perform at the bash, what better time to stoke the Grammy fire and fill you in on the show…

The duo have been nominated for an impressive 5 awards including, Album of the Year, (for their Mercury nominated ‘Raising Sand’) and Record of the Year, for their stunning single “Please Read The Letter”.

Duffy will be in attendance on the night after gaining 3 nominations for Best New Artist, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (for “Mercy”) and Best Pop Vocal Album (for ‘Rockferry’). She will also be presenting an award.

Jason Mraz will be at the ceremony. He’s been nominated in 3 categories. Jason is up for, Song of the Year (for the irresistible “I’m Yours”), Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Best Engineered Album.

As well as the success in his homeland, Jason is finally receiving notable acclaim and success this side of the pond. His album ‘We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things’ broke into the Top Ten this week at No. 8. His worldwide smash-hit single “I’m Yours” is currently No. 11 in the iTunes chart, on course for the top Ten.

—

Rufus Wainwright is speaking at the Oxford Union on Thursday (Feb 5th), Rufus will field questions in a Q&A session about his first, upcoming opera ‘Prima Donna’ which premieres at the Manchester International Festival – the world’s first festival of original, new work on July 10th, 14th, 17th (evening) and 12th, 19th July (Matinee) at Manchester’s Palace Theatre.

Rufus is also up for a Grammy nomination next Sunday for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album (for ‘Rufus Does Judy At Carnegie Hall’).

—

In breaking news, Madonna’s Sticky & Sweet Tour goes back on the road this Summer. Already the No.1 biggest grossing tour in history for a solo artist, Madonna kicks off the tour at London’s O2 Arena on Independence Day (July 4th) and then Manchester’s MEN Arena (July 7th).

Never one to miss out, Madonna is up for 3 Grammy Awards too, for Best Dance Recording (for Give It 2 Me), Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals (for 4 Minutes) and Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical (for 4 Minutes – Junkie XL Remix).

—

Saddened by the loss of singer-songwriter John Martyn, Jersey Budd had some kind words to say: “John Martyn was one of only a few people to leave me absolutely spellbound by his musical genius. It turned out that I was the last person to ever be asked to support John. Whatever I achieve in music, this will go down as one of my proudest moments, and a great honour.”

Jersey continues to impress, and impress is exactly what he did on Wednesday at Water Rats. The singer-songwriter showcased songs from his stunning forthcoming album ‘Wonderlands’.

Jersey releases his infectious new single “Visions Of You”, February 16th.

—
Russell Brand is currently on his 28-date, sold out UK tour, but due to phenomenal demand he announced a rare and simply unmissable, stand-up show at London’s O2 Arena, April 17th.

—
Politics enthusiast Will Young takes to the Question Time hot seat next Thursday (Feb 5th). Will, who is a fan of the show assured us that he is swotting up on the hot topics of the day.

Will releases his last-ever physical single ‘Let It Go’ from the same titled album on March 2nd.

—
Delta Spirit were impressive on Tuesday night at Borderline. The five-piece ripped through a storming set that included their irresistible single “Trashcan”.

They play their last London gig tonight at Koko (Club NME), before heading back to the U.S. They are playing SXSW in March before returning to the UK for more live dates. Their stunning album ‘Ode To Sunshine’ is released March 23rd.

Like Plant, we hail from West Bromwich in the heart of the Black Country (indeed, my dad frequented the same drinking hole as Planty) and wondered what the leonine rock god must make of the changes to the ’second city’ since he last strolled its streets. Gone are the grubby factories and warehouses, replaced by shimmering glass towers and a slick, cosmopolitan atmosphere. We were certainly struck anew by the city’s transformation as we wandered down the canal-side before the gig.

It seems Brum is not the only thing to have changed – there’s no trace of a Black Country twang in Plant’s voice and his partnership with Krauss on ‘Raising Sand’ is a departure from the heavy rock of his Led Zeppelin days. It’s also the stuff of music critics’ wet dreams: a beautiful bluegrass angel collaborating with the hoary old man of rock to make one of the finest and unlikely parings in recent musical times.

Anticipation was high for this, Plant’s homecoming performance. From a purely anthropological bent, there was also much fun to be had in identifying fans there for Alison Krauss and those there for Robert Plant. Needless to say there were ponytails aplenty on men of a certain age and later in the evening, some head-banging in the aisles to some of the rockier numbers. Of course I can only speculate that they were Led Zep fans …

But before I discuss the main act … the support. This was Scott Matthews, Wolverhampton-based urban-folk troubadour whose band and he were, he cheerily confessed, ’shitting ourselves’. The local feel of one up-and-coming Black Country lad supporting another made good, set a nice tone and the audience warmed to Matthews fast. He opened with the beautiful “Dream Song”, arguably his best work to date, and gave a soulful and professional support to the main act.

As “Rich Woman’s” swampy guitars kicked in, Plant and Krauss crept out from either side of the stage each looking a million dollars. There’s a strange kind of symmetry seeing them live, all big blond hair and even bigger voices, although this is as far as the visual resemblance goes. In her diaphanous, floaty dress with her perfectly coiffed hair, Alison Krauss looked like she’d been whisked in from Stepford; whereas Robert Plant, wearing block colours and some pretty fine winkle pickers, looked every inch the rock god. He trod the stage like a caged animal for the first few songs, a mesmerising “Sister Rosetta” and “Through the Morning, Through the Night”, and I like to think it did the old boy some good when he finally let rip on tracks like “Nothin” – it certainly looked and sounded like it!

The two were on fire; their voices were nothing short of awesome and melted into each other’s tones perfectly. “Stick with Me Baby” was mesmerising. I’d expected them to sound good, but this good? Krauss’s demure presence belied a torrent of feeling conveyed through her singing which was by turns eerie and angelic. Her rendition of Tom Waits’ “Trampled Rose” was goose-bump inducing and her violin playing exceptional. Her voice was as sweet as honey but more penetrating than any I’ve heard in a long time, filling every crevice of the cavernous NIA.

Despite the obvious difference between her vocals and Plant’s blues wail, his voice was equally on form. He sang as if he wanted to tear the audience’s eardrums out on tracks like “Gone, Gone Gone” and an old Led Zeppelin track (that’s the head-bangers happy then).

By far his finest moment was on “Fortune Teller”, an amusing old standard on which Alison supplemented his bluesy delivery with haunting backing vocals. Of this track he confided that he’d first come across it in the ’60s and that only two others knew it – he got ‘free prescriptions and a long memory’ he self-deprecatingly joked.

On other songs his sound was more restrained, allowing the gravely textures of his voice to reveal themselves in a wonderfully new way. The two were generous to each others’ performances, stepping back to spotlight the others’ strengths through songs which ranged from the old standards from “Raising Sand” and beyond, to blues, country and soul.

The legendary T-Bone Burnett, a black-clad, narrow and angular presence on the stage, was met with adulatory cries of ‘you the man T-Bone!’ from an enthusiastic crowd when he performed two of his own tracks. Krauss nodded to his producing the score to ‘O Brother Where Art Thou’, on which Krauss sings, when she threw in “Down to the River to Pray” with Plant joining in for backing vocals.

To see the three on stage together, their chemistry and obvious ease with each other, was a live crystallization of the successes of ‘Raising Sand’ and was really something. In short, the gig was a triumph. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss made it look so easy and surpassed the elegance of their recordings. Long may the partnership between the bluegrass beauty and rock beast continue.

By: Lindsey Davis

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss have been picking up rave reviews for their ‘Raising Sand 2008′ Tour in the US. The UK leg of the tour kicked off May 5th, 2008 at the Birmingham NIA Arena.

Read Robert Plant & Alison Krauss review at Birmingham NIA.

Performing songs from their hugely popular and critically acclaimed album, ‘Raising Sand’, Robert and Alison played a dazzling set at the New Orleans Jazz Fest last month. According to the Boston Herald, “The unlikely pair’s harmonies and chemistry were something to behold…” while USA Today declared that the duo “…set the early high bar for the rest of Jazz Fest’s eclectic bill”.

The Raising Sand tour features legendary producer T Bone Burnett on guitar and renowned musicians Stuart Duncan on guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, Buddy Miller on guitar, autoharp, mandolin and pedal steel, Jay Bellerose on drums and percussion and Dennis Crouch on bass.

Named album of the year by the Sunday Times, ‘Raising Sand’ has sold over two million copies to date worldwide and topped critics 2007 best-of lists. The thrilling first single “Gone Gone Gone” went on to win a prestigious Grammy Award.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss tour dates:

UK tour dates:

May 2008

7th MANCHESTER, Apollo – Tel: 08444 777 677
8th CARDIFF, International Arena – Tel: 02920 224488
22nd LONDON, Wembley Arena – Tel: 0870 060 0870

European Dates:

May 2008

10th DUSSELDORF, Philipshalle
11th BRUSSELS, Forest National Club
13th PARIS, Le Grand Rex Theatre
14th AMSTERDAM, Heineken Music Hall
16th STOCKHOLM, Hovet (Ice Hall)
18th OSLO, Spektrum
19th BERGEN, Bergenshalle

The new single, “Rich Woman” is out now on Rounder/Decca.

Raising Sand on amazon.com

Raising Sand on amazon.co.uk

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Myspace
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Official Website

Former Led Zeppelin frontman, Robert Plant, and his new partner in music, 20time Grammy winner Alison Krauss, are just another stepping stone in the life of Scot Sax, famed neo-power pop artist.

Sax and his latest endeavor, Sharon Little, are on tour with the duo well through the summer but Sax is taking a break mid-May to promote his new album ‘While She Was Working.’

‘While She Was Working’ is a six-song album written and recorded by Sax himself over a period of 10 days. The album is a new sound for Sax but does well not to stray too far from his roots.

While hosting Open Milk Night at MilkBoy Coffee, Sax claims that he gained a certain sense of humor about music. This humor comes through in his new album, in which he reflects on some of his open mic experiences.

The album was released in February, but the New Record Release Party won’t be held until May 17th, 2008. MilkBoy Coffee will be hosting the party with Sax as the guest of honor. The night will begin at 8pm with openers Lauren Hart and Up The Chain. ‘While She Was Working’ will be the centerpiece of the evening and Sax, as usual, is sure to deliver a show you won’t soon forget.

Sax’s involvement with MilkBoy has grown over the past years. He graces the stage with wit and charm that draws in his listeners time and time again.

His musical career began early on in his childhood. His band Wanderlust opened for The Who in 1996 and he continued on his road to fame with the song “I Am the Summertime” which was featured on the American Pie Soundtrack. Sax also co-wrote Faith Hill’s hit “Like We Never Loved At All” and received an ASCAP Award in 2006.

Most recently, Sax has been mentor to Sharon Little. They have written and toured together for over a year and in 2007 Sax signed Little to major record label CBS Records. Their tour with Plant and Krauss will continue through June 2008.

For information about tickets for the Album Release Party go to: MilkBoy Coffee Website

Scot Sax Official Website

On the eve of their eagerly anticipated tour, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss are set to release their new single “Rich Woman” on the 14th April, 2008 in the UK.

Taken from their critically acclaimed album ‘Raising Sand’, it follows the Grammy Award winning single “Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)” and the sublime “Please Read The Letter”.

Written by Dorothy LaBostrie and McKinley Millet, and produced by T Bone Burnett, “Rich Woman” is characterised by a unique honey sweet delivery from Alison Krauss matched perfectly with Robert Plant’s haunting vocals. This is the third single taken from ‘Raising Sand’ that debuted on the US Billboard chart at #2, and Top 5 here in the UK. It has sold nearly 2 million copies internationally, and over 440,000 in the UK.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss embark on a 47-date North American and European tour beginning April 19th, 2008 in Louisville, KY. Joined by a stellar group of musicians featuring T Bone Burnett (band leader/Guitar), Jay Bellerose (Drums and Percussion), Dennis Crouch (Double Bass), Buddy Miller (Guitar) and Stuart Duncan (Fiddle/Mandolin/Banjo/Guitar).

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss 2008 UK tour dates:

May 2008

5th Birmingham, NIA
7th Manchester, Apollo
8th Cardiff, International Arena
22nd London, Wembley Arena

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
Robert Plant
Alison Krauss

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’ gold LP ‘Raising Sand’ continues its hold on the UK Top 10, where it currently resides at #2!

The album’s second single “Please Read The Letter” is released today in the UK, January 28th, 2008 and follows the Grammy nominated “Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)” – Watch video.

They’re set to play US and UK dates this spring, including Wembley Arena, May 22nd.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss ‘Raising Sand’ April 2008 US tour dates (More dates TBA):
(Featuring T Bone Burnett in a special role for US dates)

Dates could change! Go to Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Official Website for the latest tour dates and information.

20 April – Louisville, KY – Palace Theatre
22 April – Knoxville, TN – Knoxville Civic Coliseum
23 April – Chattanooga, TN – Memorial Auditorium
26 April – Birmingham, AL – BJCC Arena

May 2008 UK tour dates:

5 May – BIRMINGHAM, NIA – Tel: 0871 945 6000
7 May – MANCHESTER, Apollo – Tel: 08444 777 677
8 May – CARDIFF, International Arena – Tel: 02920 224488
22 May – LONDON, Wembley Arena – Tel: 0870 060 0870

Raising Sand on amazon.com

Raising Sand on amazon.co.uk

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss on Myspace
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Official Website

Led Zeppelin is set to play a reunion concert at the O2 Arena in London on – New Date: December 10th, 2007 (pushed back from the original date of November 26, 2007 due to Jimmy Page fracturing his finger). Apparently over 25 million people registered for the ballot which was initially going to close on September 17th, but has now been extended until midday Wednesday September 19, 2007 due to crashed servers and high demand. Successful applicants will be notified 01 October 2007. Tickets are £125.00 + booking fee.

Led Zeppelin band members showing up for the gig at the O2 Arena include singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, and bassist John Paul Jones. This will be their first performance together in 19 years. Jason Bonham will replace his late father John Bonham on drums. This should be a major treat for all Led Zeppelin fans, and if you can’t get a ticket, then hopefully there will be suitable at home viewing options.

Along with Led Zeppelin, other bands and artists set to play include Pete Townshend, Foreigner, Paolo Nutini and Bill Wyman And The Rhythm Kings.

The show is a tribute concert to the late Ahmet Ertegun, founder of Atlantic Records and is being held to raise money for the Ahmet Ertegun Education Fund, which pays for university scholarships in the UK, US and Turkey. Ahmet Ertegun was a close friend and conspirator to Led Zeppelin.

For tickets and more information go to:

The O2 Arena Official Website
Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Official Website
Buy Led Zeppelin 1 and more on amazon.com

Led Zeppelin Official Website

By: Jenny May