If the tidbits of information that have been revealed about his new solo album are any indication, it appears that Led Zeppelin legend Robert Plant has really taken a liking to the kind of music he has been performing with bluegrass star Alison Krauss.

Recording with a small group of musicians before Christmas, Plant chose Nashville veteran Buddy Miller to produce the album, and included renowned session musician and songwriter Darrell Scott among the select few that contributed their talents to the album, which is tentatively entitled It’s Rude to Say No.

Scott, who played mandolin and glockenspiel on the album, says that the two weeks he spent in the studio working with Plant were “some of the most memorable times I’ve ever had in the studio.” He goes on to describe Plant as someone who genuinely loves the music. Something that might not be expected from a hard-rocking veteran like Plant, and a far cry from his high-octave days with Led Zeppelin, but an interesting demonstration of how diverse one’s musical tastes can be.

The new album seems to be taking Plant in the direction he has been headed in recently while working with Krauss. He reportedly covers the traditional bluegrass track “Cindy” on the new album; perhaps giving fans a hint about what the rest of the album sounds like.

I have to admit that I would have thought it was crazy to envision Robert Plant singing bluegrass if someone told me that back around 1973, but here we are in 2010 and that’s exactly what’s happening.

As a die hard rock fan as far back as I can remember, the broadening of Plant’s horizons gives me the feeling that I’m in good company. I’ve become more open to listening to other types of music during the past few years myself, mostly female country artists like LeAnn Rimes and Carrie Underwood.

Country has certainly evolved and branched out a bit since the days of hearing my dad play Glenn Campbell on the living room stereo, and a lot of the country material from the past decade or so has more of a rock feel to it, which is probably what drew me in.

At this point I’ve decided that I have to take a listen to Raising Sand, the Emmy-winning album that Plant and Krauss collaborated on. I’m not very familiar with the bluegrass branch of country, but news that Robert Plant is going to be releasing his own album that features at least some bluegrass material has convinced me that it’s time to check it out.

Plant’s new album is expected to be released sometime later this year.

For more on this story, check out Tennessee’s Bristol Herald Courier.