Don Jacobson, in Chicago’s Beachwood Reporter, blogs about why Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’ big Grammy wins meant so much to him. He writes in part:

So, what have the Zep-man and the Bluegrass Babe really wrought by dominating the 2009 Grammys? Well, first of all, it has raised Robert Plant in my estimation even more, if such a thing is possible. He kicks ass for two reasons - number one, he’s got excellent taste in music. Anyone smart enough to realize the heir to hard, blues-based rock is modern Americana is damn cool in my book.

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Barry Mazor, at NoDepression.com, takes a look at “Americana” and what it means.

Mazor begins:

Charlie Louvin, Robert Plant, Glen Campbell, Joan Baez…who among these artists is Americana? And why (or why not)?

For anybody who still tries to maintain that musical genre styles are set in stone and have their own set of compatible, identifiable players – kind of like Mount Rushmore, but allegedly more natural – things must seem to be getting kind of loose out there. Robert Plant, Joan Baez, Glen Campbell and Charlie Louvin, despite their very different career starting places, are all being presented as Americana acts. Darius Rucker and Jewel are country. Taylor Swift and Alison Krauss are topping the pop album charts.

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FYI: No Depression is an informative website on matters of roots, Americana, alt country and all forms of American music. It’s worth a bookmark.

Cindy Watts, writing for The Tennessean, says Americana Music Association executive director Jed Hilly hopes Robert Plant and Alison Krauss are Album of the Year Grammy winners. A win would bring more attention to the burgeoning Americana genre.

Watts writes:

“These Grammys are huge for Americana, and they are huge for putting integrity back in music,” he said. “This is great music that’s being made for the sake of making music. These are artists of integrity that aren’t sitting down and writing a song to figure out how it’s going to be the No. 1 song on radio. They are writing music that comes from their heart. … While that doesn’t necessarily sell on commercial pop radio today, I know there is a huge appreciation for it.”

Whether that appreciation is enough to win Plant and Krauss the album of the year award will have to remain a mystery until Sunday’s Grammy Awards. Hilly likes their chances. Others nominated in the category are Radiohead and Coldplay, along with Ne-Yo and Lil Wayne; Hilly theorizes that the acts in those two pairs might cancel each other out.

“Americana is doing just fine,” he said. “My hope and my vote goes to Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. I think it’s our duty and obligation to teach the next generation of music lovers what’s really good, not just what’s popular.”

Blogger Ed McDonald enjoyed Raising Sand throughout 2008 and added it to his Fave Albums of the Year list. He writes:

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Raising Sand - This came out in 2007 but this was, by far, the most played album of the last year. I saw a BBC interview with Plant where he remarks on how this was the first album he had made with American musicians and how he was impressed by all their vintage equipment. Robert Plant made an Americana album and this may be what he has been aiming for all these years.

According to the Americana Music Association, Raising Sand is #3 on the list of Top 100 Most Played Americana Albums for 2008. Raising Sand racked up a reported 10,851 spins.

iTunes lists Raising Sand among their picks for Best Country Album of 2008 and Best Americana 2008. iTunes 2008 is a collection of top sellers and staff favorites. According to the iTunes store, the collection is a “guide for everything that defined entertainment in 2008.”

Timothy Finn writing for KansasCity.com reflects on the fact that there is a prevalence of women on the country music charts right now. Also in the article he talks about crossover artists like Robert Plant:

Robert Plant: His most famous band, Led Zeppelin, tinkered with mystic-country sounds, but last year Plant navigated the transition to Americana and country blues. His collaboration with T-Bone Burnett and Alison Krauss produced one of the best albums of 2007, “Raising Sand,” and one of the best tours of 2008.

John Hiatt, who picked up a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2008 Americana Music Awards, comments on how Robert’s appearance makes perfect sense:

“It’s perfect. You got Robert Plant in there, who is not only so connected to American Southern roots music, but is also connected vis a vis his mining of old English folk music, which of course is connected to us and connected to Southern American music, and thus Americana music. It’s all these long threads. So him being here is a perfect piece of the puzzle.”

Robert and Alison were big winners at the Americana Music Honors and Awards ceremony on September 18, 2008. Raising Sand was named Album of the year, and Robert and Alison won Duo of the Year.

The 2008 Americana Music Honors and Awards ceremony took place at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. Robert was one of the “surprise” performers for the evening, singing with Buddy Miller. About Miller, Robert said: “It’s been such an experience working with this guy. He’s spectacular.”