ACL Fest: Robert Plant & Alison Krauss Share The Stage, A Harmony

Photo by Eric Uhlir

When bluegrass legend Alison Krauss took her place on stage right next to rock music icon Robert Plant the two seemed so naturally comfortable, cooperative and complementary that it was as if they'd been playing together and recording for several years. Krauss and Plant took turns on lead vocals while the other provided backup, often engaging in rich harmonies while sharing a gaze full of gratitude, making it clear that this project has nothing to do with competing egos. They both shared vocal duties on a folky, hushed version of the Led Zeppelin hit, "Black Dog". It began with banjo, light drums and a near whisper and picked up with a dusty, ramblin' melody as the two stood side by side. But, it wasn't until the song's guitar solo, which was played by a fiddle, that the ultimate strength of this version emerged. Anyone who took their eyes off the stage would've missed the fact that it was indeed a fiddle. Steady stand-up bass and speedy mandolin picking provided the background, along with some pedal steel on "Through the Morning, Through the Night," which was led by Krauss. Occasionally, a hint of the old Plant came to the surface on songs like the rockier "Fortune Teller". --William Mills