This week, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss begin a 10-city tour in support of their recent collaborative album, Raise the Roof. Their touring band’s lead guitarist is a familiar name for The Current listeners: rockabilly revivalist JD McPherson.

How exactly he ended up playing with Plant and Krauss still amazes McPherson. “I was just at home, and I got a phone call from T Bone Burnett's production manager,” McPherson tells The Current’s Bill DeVille. “I got a call to come in and play this one thing, and that was supposed to be it. And then I got another call to come in.” 

It was from there that McPherson was invited to go on tour. Once they’re on the road, McPherson won’t lack for conversation with Robert Plant. “Like me, he just wants to talk about old records all day long,” McPherson says. “But he's got a way better recall than I do. I mean, he remembers what label every track is on, the session players, what city they recorded in … He's got, like, eight or nine thousand 45s alone.”

And sharing the stage with Plant and Krauss each night is a privilege that’s not lost on McPherson. “Alison is like a force of nature,” he says. “First of all, she's just on the ball with everything. I mean, she's kind of running the show as far as she's always got her eye on every little detail. And then she opens her mouth, and this supernatural sound comes out. You don't need more than one take with Miss Alison Krauss. She's unbelievable.”

Listen to JD McPherson’s full conversation with Bill DeVille using the audio player above, and read a full transcript below.

The first U.S. leg of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’s Raise the Roof tour begins Wednesday, June 1, in Canandaigua, N.Y., and continues until June 16 in Atlanta. Following a European run of shows in July, the second U.S. tour begins August 15 in San Diego, Calif., and continues into September. JD McPherson will be part of the band for both U.S. tours.

Interview Transcript

Edited for time and clarity.

Bill DeVille: It's United States of Americana. It's JD McPherson, and I was watching CBS, Colbert and the CBS Saturday morning show and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss performed and look, lo and behold, there's JD McPherson playing with Plant and Krauss. How in the world did that happen?

JD McPherson: I don't really know, Bill! I was just at home, and I got a phone call from a person who's T Bone Burnett's production manager, and I guess they were going to do a version of their first single "Can't Let Go" for the BBC. It was like the first kind of promo that they did. And I think the idea was they wanted to record a new, more uptempo version of it. But I got a call to come in and play this one thing, and that was supposed to be it. And then I got another call to come in and do the rest of the promo. And then, it looks like I'll be doing the tour.

Bill DeVille: You're doing the tour!

JD McPherson: I literally just talked to Allison on the phone right before you, but yeah, so I'll be doing the tour with them. And it's like, you just never know where things are going to come from or, or how, but things can turn around on a dime. So "be ready" is kind of my new motto.

Bill DeVille: What was Robert like to stand next to him and play guitar? Does it bring out this Jimmy Page in you a little bit? You want to shred?

JD McPherson: Well, it's a blast. He's really funny, really witty, really smart. And like me, he just wants to talk about old records all day long. I would say the short amount of time we spent together, besides playing, that's pretty much what we talked about. I'll be sitting down and he'll plop down next and he's like, "JD, are you into Ral Donner?" And I'm like, "Not really." He's like, "Well, you've got to look past the cheese, mate. You've got to look past the cheese." And then he would like dictate a list of Ral Donner singles to listen to my phone. And, you know, he's like, "JD do you take requests?" And then he'll like want to do like a Gene Vincent song, which I'm happy to oblige. So you know, like me, that's his, like, kind of primary, like, passion in life is old records. But he's got a way better recall than I do. I mean, he remembers what label every track is on, the session players, where they — what city they recorded in. And he's got like eight or nine thousand 45s alone.

Bill DeVille: Oh, my goodness.

JD McPherson: Yes. It's really fun. It's super fun.

Bill DeVille: I can imagine. Yeah,

JD McPherson: I think that's one of the reasons why I got called was because, you know, I think they just wanted to dip their toe into some of the stuff that I'm known to do sometimes. But it's been a blast. The other musicians in the band: Jay Bellerose, Dennis Crouch, Stuart Duncan.

Bill DeVille: All incredible musicians. What's it like to stand next to those fellas and to play? I mean, is it intimidating?

JD McPherson: They're incredibly welcoming. Also, I mean, they all love music, too. I mean, Dennis, he's from Arkansas. I'm from Oklahoma. So immediately, we sort of latched on to each other. He's super into western swing music, and I am too, and so we really bonded over that. And then Jay Bellerose. He's just one of my favorite drummers ever. And so it's such a trip to play with him. We all just love music, and it's been amazing playing with them. And Alison is like a force of nature. First of all, she's just on the ball with everything. I mean, she's like kind of running the show as far as like she's always got her eye on every little detail. And then she opens her mouth and like this supernatural sound comes out. You don't need more than one take with Miss Alison Krauss. She's unbelievable.

Bill DeVille: Such an angelic voice. One of the coolest things about Robert and Alison's album is that all these old songs are being, you know, rediscovered like Randy Weeks' track "Can't Let Go," that Lucinda did, and the Merle Haggard tune. There's an Allen Toussaint song on there. Geeshie Wiley.

JD McPherson: I've loved that song for years and years. It's such a haunting guitar part. And it's one of my favorite songs ever and almost uncover-able. You know what I mean? But they pull it off. It's, it's really great.

Bill DeVille: It's so nice to chat with you, JD McPherson, and do you have a new album in the works?

JD McPherson: There's a couple of things in the works, some of which you'll be hearing very shortly. And then I would imagine the rest of we'll be hearing probably after the Alison and Robert stuff is wrapping up.

Bill DeVille: Mention to Robert and Alison that they should book a Twin Cities date. Could you do that for us?

JD McPherson: I'll see what I can do. I generally still just kind of stand in the corner, with my volume knob turned down until I need to do something. I'm just here to play guitar.

Bill DeVille: It must be kind of fun to be a sideman. You don't have to call the shots; you just learn the music and play!

JD McPherson: It's the best! It is the best.

Bill DeVille: All right, it's United States of Americana. It's JD McPherson, and it's a pleasure chatting with you. Good to see you.

JD McPherson: Take care, Bill. Bye, everybody.

External Links

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - official site

JD McPherson - official site