Robert Plant and Alison Krauss: An inspired pairing of substance and styles

The lion and the lamb laid down some tracks together in a swampy bayou by the light of the moon.

The result was "Raising Sand," the magical pairing of the roaring, leonine Robert Plant with the sweet-voiced, mild-mannered Alison Krauss.

The fascinating, mesmerizing collection of dark-edged folk/country blues, as imagined by brilliant producer/musician T Bone Burnett ("O Brother Where Art Thou?" "Down From the Mountain" soundtracks), is one of the most surprising and satisfying pop recordings of the 21st century.

Plant, the screamer from Led Zeppelin, and Krauss, the whispery vocalist of Union Station, are more compatible musically than they might seem at first glance, because both are pure singers ruled by their emotions, and both are steeped in Americana.

Plant, 60, may be a Brit, but his love for Delta blues is a foundation for Led Zeppelin's powerful blues-based rock. Krauss, 36, is the queen of bluegrass, a singer-fiddler whose immense talent almost single-handedly moved bluegrass into the mainstream.

They first discovered their mutual musical interests in 2004 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, when they were paired for a duet at a Lead Belly tribute, singing the late blues master's "Black Girl."

They became fast friends. But it wasn't until Burnett stepped in and suggested they record some duets that they realized the potential for something extraordinary. A planned EP turned into an album, which caused a sensation when it was released about a year ago. It rose to No. 2 on the Billboard album chart and has sold more than a million copies. There's talk now of a second album, with some original songs written by the two.

Their collaboration is a labor of love for both. Plant reportedly turned down a $100 million offer for a Led Zeppelin reunion tour, following the one-off charity show in London last year, when there were some 20 million applications for the 18,000 tickets. Plant said he'd rather tour with Krauss.

And she could've chosen to get back to touring with Union Station, with whom she can sell out as many shows as she wants. But she opted to stay with Plant.

Led Zeppelin, which was also heavily influenced by British folk music, has been well-represented on the Plant/Krauss tour, which began in April and was to have ended in July, but was extended through Oct. 5 (to our good fortune). "When the Levee Breaks," "Black Dog" and "The Battle of Evermore" have shown up on the tour's set lists, to the great acclaim of fans.

Their nearly two-hour sets include most of the 13 songs on "Raising Sand," those Zeppelin songs, plus a variety of covers. Burnett and the band also do a few numbers.

After the show here, the tour winds down with three shows in California.

Patrick MacDonald: 206-464-2312

or pmacdonald@seattletimes.com