The lineup of Plant, vocalist Suzi Dian, drummer Oli Jefferson, guitarist Tony Kelsey, banjo and string player Matt Worley, and cellist Barney Morse-Brown were on hand as part of the group’s first series of North American concert dates as Saving Grace.
NPR’s Robin Hilton sets the scene: “When Robert Plant first stepped behind the Tiny Desk on a blustery Halloween afternoon, he took stock of the relatively stripped-down setup. ‘This is just like Live Aid,’ he said with a smile. ‘I couldn't hear myself there either.’ He was referring to the fact we don't amplify voices or use monitors so artists can hear themselves.
“But if ever there was someone up to the challenge, it's Robert Plant. With a voice that's only gotten better with age, Plant has deftly moved from the full-throated rock and swagger of Led Zeppelin to the more restrained and profoundly beautiful folk, blues and roots music found on more recent recordings. His latest solo album, ‘Saving Grace’, is a collection of covers that range from the traditional spiritual ‘Gospel Plough’ to ‘It's A Beautiful Day Today’ by Moby Grape, a psychedelic rock band that, Plant says, still makes him ‘weepy.’
“Plant and his band perform both songs for this set,” Hilton continued, “along with a version of ‘Higher Rock’ by the singer-songwriter Martha Scanlan and Low's ‘Everybody's Song.’" They close with a new arrangement of ‘Gallows Pole,’ another traditional Plant first reinterpreted for the ‘Led Zeppelin III’ album in 1969.”
Produced by Plant and the band, “Saving Grace” was recorded between April 2019 and January 2025 in the Cotswolds and on the Welsh Borders where they breathed fresh life into a collection of century-old music.
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