Report: Robert Plant plans to record second album with Alison Krauss, T Bone Burnett

Not noticed here until last night, the Birmingham Evening Mail in England reported last Friday, Nov. 21:

Plant well away from tour plans

Robert Plant tries to avoid questions about his role in the proposed Led Zeppelin reunion tour - but Hancock managed to steer him in that direction at Bilston's Robin 2 club.

Robert made a surprise on-stage appearance to mark singer Ricky Cool's 30 years in music and confirmed to Hancock he would not be joining Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham on the road. He said it was partly because he'd be busy working on the follow-up to his awardwinning Raising Sand LP.

"In January, I'm starting to record a new album with Alison Krauss and T Bone Burnett," he revealed, before adding "but I understand that everyone's got to eat," implying that the Plant-less Led Zep has his blessing.

But before he joined the Big Town Playboys on stage for a couple of bluesy numbers, he imparted one piece of significant information: "They won't be calling it Led Zeppelin!"

The Birmingham Evening Mail doesn't report when this conversation took place, but exhaustive Robert Plant fan site Manic Nirvana says it took place Nov. 6.

If that's correct, it's funny the Birmingham Evening Mail took all of two weeks to report on the only known statement by Plant on the topic of Led Zeppelin since September, when he said he was taking two years off from all touring and that he didn't see himself participating in any form of Led Zeppelin reunion.

Anyway, this is the first we're hearing any kind of official confirmation that Plant and Krauss, with producer Burnett, will be working together on a follow-up to their 2007 album Raising Sand.

And Plant's parting comment -- that Page and Jones "won't be calling" their group "Led Zeppelin" -- is in line with the latest word from Page's management. As RollingStone.com reported Nov. 12, a representative for management company QPrime told Rolling Stone's Brian Hiatt, "Whatever this is, it is not Led Zeppelin. ... Not without the involvement of Robert Plant."

So, to summarize, Plant on the likelihood of Page, Jones and Jason Bonham going out on the road with a new singer: "Everyone's got to eat." I can just see the comments on this site raining in now ...