Robert Plant will be joined on tour in a new lineup featuring Patty Griffin and Buddy Miller, according to an announcement posted on Plant's official Web site.
Plant's new band was given the recycled name Band of Joy after a pre-Zeppelin band he fronted and that at one time featured his future Led Zeppelin bandmate John Bonham. Now, Band of Joy is also the name of his forthcoming album with the band. The disc is scheduled for worldwide release this September: U.K./international edition on September 13 (pre-order here), U.S. edition on September 14 (pre-order here).
A dozen concerts have been announced for the Southern United States, opening July 13 in Memphis and so far continuing only until July 31. This is only the first leg of tour dates, according to the release.
Buddy Miller, a co-producer of Plant's upcoming album, also produced Patty Griffin's latest effort, Downtown Church, and has toured with her to support the album. Their touring included an appearance at the Old Settler's Music Festival in Texas on April 17, where they performed two sets together. A review of the show from a Led Zeppelin fan's perspective can be found here.
The full list of musicians joining Plant, Griffin and Miller in the Band of Joy, both in the studio and on the upcoming tour, also consists of:
Darrell Scott, multiple instruments and vocals
Byron House, bass and vocals
Marco Giovino, drums, percussion and vocals
Miller is to play multiple instruments and sing, and Griffin is to sing. The Band of Joy is to be playing material from the new album.
Of the new album, Plant says, "It's been a blast working on these new songs -- and I'm enjoying such creativity and vitality. It's been a remarkable change of direction for all of us and as a group we all seem to have developed a new groove."
Plant's upcoming release will be Plant's first disc since Raising Sand in 2007, with Alison Krauss, who is mentioned in the release. "Oh yes," Plant is quoted, as if responding to a question, "Alison and I get together quite often -- and sometimes we dance."
All content copyright 2009 Denny Somach Productions
