The Nashville Public Television media update blog reports that an abridged version of Levon Helm’s Ramble at the Ryman will be airing on NPT channel 8 on June 14, 2009. Joe writes:

One of my favorite live shows of last year was Levon Helm’s Ramble at the Ryman. It was fantastic and included guest appearances by Alison Krauss and Robert Plant, Steve Earle, Sheryl Crow, Delbert McClinton, Buddy Miller, Sam Bush and John Hiatt, among others. Thankfully, the show was recorded, and now an abridged version, in glorious HD, comes to NPT on June 14. Watch it. Look for me rocking out in the front row.

Paste Magazine has a great article about Buddy and Julie Miller and their latest album “Written in Chalk”. Writer Geoffrey Himes presents an overview of the couple’s musical oddessy leading up to the recording of the album, and including Buddy talking about asking Robert Plant to guest on the album:

“One day Robert said, “If you need me for anything, I’m right here,’ probably not thinking that I’d take him up on it,” Buddy says. “But the next time I went home, I packed up a portable recording setup and took it on the road. When we got to Toronto, I set it up in the band room between dinner and the show, and recorded the song right there. It was the touring band and Gurf Morlix, who happened to be at that show.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss still linger on the Billboard charts with Raising Sand.

Top Country Catalog
This Week: #4, Last Week: 3, Two Weeks Ago: 3, Weeks on Chart: 83

Top Pop Catalog
This Week: #28, Last Week: 20, Two Weeks Ago: 11, Weeks on Chart: 76

Billboard Comprehensive Albums
This Week: #189, Last Week: 148, Two Weeks Ago: 120, Weeks on Chart: 66

Blogger Colleen recalls:
I bought Robert Plant’s Principle of Moments album at Sweets Records and Tapes at the Target Shopping Center at 80th and Wadsworth. I remember Danny, the odd man who ran the place (and now is a purveyor of books in the same shopping center, different location), asking me what the picture on the album cover meant. I was twelve, prone to fits of shyness and embarassment and really just wanted to hear “Big Log” whenever I wanted and not be at the whim of the radio or certain record store clerks, and shrugged, cheeks crimson, “I don’t know.” He looked at me with disdain, and very nearly didn’t let me buy the album, before saying, “It’s THE principle of moments!” “Um okay, can I take it home now?” I enjoyed, at my leisure, some good, but what now sounds like very 80’s music.

The Sue Verity portrait of Robert Plant reported about here has been auctioned and raised 1500 BPS (about 2300 USD). The proceeds were donated to Acorns Children’s Hospice.

Paul Cole from the Sunday Mercury (UK) reviews Scott Matthews new album Elsewhere. He particularly likes 12 Harps:

But it’s the utterly gorgeous 12 Harps that inevitably steals the show, Matthews’ vocal interwoven seamlessly with that of special guest Robert Plant, the slight differences in timbre bewitching.

As usual, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss still grace the Billboard charts with Raising Sand.

Top Country Catalog
This week: #3, Last Week: 3, Two Weeks Ago: 3, Weeks on Chart: 82

Top Pop Catalog
This week: #20, Last Week: 11, Two Weeks Ago: 15, Weeks on Chart: 75

Billboard Comprehensive Albums
This week: #148, Last Week: 120, Two Weeks Ago: 130, Weeks on Chart: 65

Blogger James VanOsdol looks back at Robert Plant’s “Heaven Knows”.

I’ve been spending a lot of time revisiting Plant’s solo catalog, from “Pictures at Eleven” and “Far Post” on through the Allison Krauss duet. Of all the singles released post-Zep, none were as good as this. An appropriately soaring track with strong backing vocals that never distract from the Golden God.

Mark Guarino, writing for the Christian Science Monitor ponders the challenges of staying relevant as performers grow older. Guarino uses Robert Plant as an example and writes:

The unorthodox matchup that set the tone for this year is the one that paired former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant with neo-bluegrass singer and fiddle player Alison Krauss. Their tour from last year was the summer’s most anticipated ticket and was voted “most creative tour package” by the concert industry magazine Pollstar. And their album resulted in five Grammy awards, including record of the year and album of the year.

Yet despite the project’s commercial rewards, it originated from an artistic leap of faith. After playing two reunion shows in London, Plant was under pressure to launch a Led Zeppelin reunion world tour, which was expected to smash box office records. But instead, he opted for playing vintage country, folk, and blues tunes with Krauss in mid-size theaters – a choice that yielded less revenue than would a blockbuster reunion tour, but ultimately generated something more valuable: artistic relevance.

Rita’s Reviews reports that Robert Plant was spotted at Scott Matthews’ Birmingham Glee Club gig on May 19, 2009. She reports:

Wolverhampton’s very own Scott Matthews debuted some of his much anticipated new material at Birmingham’s Glee Club last night, to a captivated crowd that included old friends, family, and his most famous local fan - the legendary Robert Plant.

Plant features on Scott’s upcoming second album, Elsewhere, but the gig saw him shy away from the stage, allowing the singer songwriter to enjoy his deserved place in the spotlight alone.