The John Paul Jones produced album by Nickel Creek songwriter/fiddler Sarah Watkins is due for release on April 7th 2009. Sarah has just signed a record deal with Nonesuch Records. The self-titled debut album Sara Watkins, features a wide range of colleagues and old friends, including alt-country duo Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench, Elvis Costello drummer Pete Thomas; colleagues from the bluegrass world like Tim O’Brien, Punch Brothers’ Chris Eldridge, Ronnie McCoury, and Rayna Gellert; and her Nickel Creek band mates Chris …

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“THEY WON’T BE CALLING IT LED ZEPPELIN” 
The November 21 edition of the Birmingham Evening Mail reported on a guest appearance by Robert as follows:
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 …

Looking back at my diary entry for 28 years ago this very day it started off as a fairly ordinary Thursday.
The night before I’d been to see Rod Stewart at Wembley Arena with good my friends Max, Phil and James (no sniggering at the back. Rod was, and is a class act and you can count me in for the rumoured Faces reunion)
It was a pretty riotous night – the diary notes that I consumed 6 vodka and limes and a Harvey Wallbanger in the pub before the gig …

Robert and Alison’s Raising Sand album has been nominated for five Grammy Awards in the 51st annual Grammy Awards event due to be staged in Los Angeles on February 8 2009. 
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It was very sad to hear of the death of Michael Lee.
Watching the You Tube clip of Achilles Last Stand from the Atlanta ’95 show on the Blabbermouth site, it’s evident just how important he was to the Unledded era. Outside of Jason he has without doubt the drummer who brought most empathy to the Zeppelin catalogue in working with Page and Plant.
Within all the euphoria of the 02 reunion, it’s easy to forget the accomplishments of those 1995/6 and 1998 tours. There were some incendiary performances –the …

Alan Stutz book launch was a truly epic night.
One of the best.
The good lady and I found it quite surreal seeing so many faces from the past  we had not seen for years. People we worked with years back who shared so many of the ups and downs during the 1980’s.
Alan and publisher Jerry put on a great show including a very clever spoof Spinal Tap author interview film segment which bordered on comic genius and included Alan wearing his original Led Zep Knebworth T shirt.
Great also to see two …

In a report on Rolling Stone.com a comment from an insider in the Page camp gave indication that Page, Jones and Jason viewed the plan to work together as a new band. The source was quoted as saying “Whatever this is, it is not Led Zeppelin – not without the involvement of Robert Plant”. 
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Robert and Alison Krauss picked up an award at this years CMA Awards. The track “Gone Gone Gone” was named musical event of the year. The ceremony for the 42nd annual CMA Awards took place last Wednesday night (Nov. 12) in Nashville.

It has been confirmed that John Paul Jones is to appear at the annual Warren Haynes Christmas Jam held at Asheville Civic Centre Asheville, North Carolina. Warren Haynes is the guitarist and singer for Gov’t Mule and the Allman Brothers Band. Both of those bands are stated to appear over the two day event on December 12 and 13. John Paul Jones first collaborated with Haynes at the Bonnaroo festival in Manchester, Tenn; back in 2007, when the bassist jammed with Gov’t Mule on several Zeppelin numbers including No Quarter, …