Robert Plant’s new band, featured in his latest release of the same name consists of local artist Byron House on bass as well as singer Patty Griffin, multi-instrumentalist Darrell Scott, guitarist Buddy Miller and drummer Marco Giovino. 

The release features covers such as Townes Van Zandt’s Harms Swift Way and Los Lobos’ Angel Dance.  The Band of Joy, including House is currently on tour in support of the album.

Band of Joy was the name of Plant’s pre-Zeppelin band which also featured John Bonham.  NPR’s Bob Boilen said of the new album, “Band of Joy is a celebration of music, and often music from the ’60s — a decade where the blues, country, Celtic and rock all found common ground. Its rock, folk and blues tunes aren’t new, but they all sound fresh and incredibly well-played.”

Plant spoke of Byron House in a USA Today interview (www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZOPvI8ACp4) saying, “And what I was trying to do here is to bring all the beauty and the eloquence of these players, of Darrell’s pedal steel, of you know, of everybody’s gift… You know, Byron’s bass playing goes so [many] great places.  You know he’s fond of Phil Lesh and Jack Cassady, he’s got all these different styles.  He mostly plays, you know, here, and he’s not in a position to actually use some of those stylist things he’s got so the whole idea to this Band of Joy is to open it up and let everybody play to their heart’s content.  So the material has got to be a combination of electric and acoustic and it’s got to be real.”

Below is a video montage of songs from the opening night of their tour: