If only because of Robert Plant’s status, the concert of the tandem he formed with bluegrass singer Alison Krauss was one of the most prestigious posters of the Festival international de jazz de Montréal. Expectations were high, and the duo more than lived up to it, they were downright amazing.
“We came to bring you sophisticated jazz,” Robert Plant announced, in a mix of French and English after a few songs. The remark was meant to be ironic: the ex-singer of Led Zeppelin was amused to have been programmed in a jazz festival. He chimed in later that night, saying he wouldn’t call what they do “jazz.” “But there is a lot of sex [dans nos musiques]a lot of groove, ”he nuanced.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Robert Plant
No, Alison Krauss, Robert Plant and their amazing accompanists didn’t do jazz. Or anything that comes close. However, they guided the immensely enthusiastic crowd gathered at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier on Friday on a rock journey with vast ramifications, ranging from bluegrass to rockabilly, from pure rock’n’roll to almost mystical flights tinged with country.
These two do not practice one style of music, they almost always practice several at the same time.
There reigns on the two discs of the tandem a nocturnal atmosphere where even the rock impulses are retained. On stage, Friday, it was completely different. We seized from the first two pieces (Rich Woman And Fortune tellertaken from Raising Sand) that the concert would be pretty rock. On the garden side, guitarist JD McPherson led the way wide and heavy. We also note that Robert Plant was in voice.
After a rockabilly detour (the catchy can’t let go), it was the turn of Alison Krauss to impose herself on the microphone for The Price of Lovetaken from Raise the Roof and borrowed from the Everly Brothers, which she carried with her clear voice. Maracas in hand, his venerable 74-year-old sidekick did the backing vocals. It was immediately after that he made his first comment on jazz, a prelude to a Led Zep classic, rock ‘n rollmuch less rock than the original (violin intro) and colored with oriental sounds.
The elegance of communication
The people who had come to see the legend – and there seemed to be many of them in the room – were well served: they had the pleasure of hearing some spicy, but always skilfully reinvented interpretations of Robert Plant’s solo pieces (In the Mood), in tandem with Jimmy Page (Please Read the Letter) or with Led Zep (Gallows Pole And The Battle Of Evermore). On this last track, Alison Krauss, who took charge of the higher incantatory parts, shone.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Concert by Alison Krauss and Robert Plant at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier on Friday evening
Between these two, the current passes as much on stage as on record. The voices, especially that of Robert Plant, were sometimes a little too forward in the mix, but their communication was almost perfect. The former singer of Led Zeppelin also had the elegance to step back to let his partner reap the light and the applause she deserved. She was superb in Matty Grovesa traditional tune.
Supported by a close-knit and solid group, the two artists offered a rich musical journey, often exciting, skilfully revisiting the past without really trying to make the nostalgic fiber of those who lived the 1970s vibrate. Whether it was rock or not, it was powerful, sought-after and sometimes even bewitching, like this mind-blowing version of When the Levee Breaksplayed at the end of the program, before the short encore.
It wasn’t jazz, no. Nevertheless, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss gave a concert of the caliber of those who will mark the history of this festival.