Report: Charity concert will see Jimmy Page play Saturday in Brazil

The last LedZeppelinNews.com report about Jimmy Page didn't go so well, but let's try this.

The guitarist is said to be playing in a Rio de Janiero school auditorium this Saturday, Nov. 28, at a benefit for one of his charities. According to a translation of the Portugese-language O Globo, tickets to a concert featuring Page and other acts are selling for upwards of $100. The article says Page would be performing along with some school bands and acts called Pepeu Gomes, George Israel and Kid Abelha, the article says.

The intimate event would be Page's first concert appearance of the year. In 2008, Page played a much more high-profile event at the Olympics, and also joined John Paul Jones in sitting in with the Foo Fighters one night in London. Those have been his only onstage appearances since the Led Zeppelin reunion concert on Dec. 10, 2007.

Casa Jimmy, a shelter for abandoned street children in Rio de Janiero, opened 11 years ago as a program of one of the charities Page supports, Task Brazil. A source familiar with Page's charity work tells LedZeppelinNews.com this fundraiser couldn't have come at a better time given a current need for financial support.

Vultures swoop in at No. 12 on Billboard album chart

Seventy thousand copies of the debut album by Them Crooked Vultures sold in the United States in its first week of release, Billboard reports this morning. This lands the new group on the magazine's album chart in the No. 12 position.

There's one other Jones in front of John Paul Jones: Norah Jones. No relation.

In other news, a source called California on the band's official forum reports having attended the "New Fang" video shoot, which was said to have been under the direction of Paul Minor of Streetgang Films. California writes:

Just left the video shoot for New Fang, which at this moment is still being shot in the LA area, and wanted to let all the fans know that the bands live performance is nothing short of amazing. Every single take went off without a hitch from the bands perspective… not once did they have to cut due to any mistakes/faux pas from the band members. They are so polished! The video itself looks like it is going to be fantastic, shot in a studio with just the band members playing and being shot from varying angles. Thats all I got, just thought I’d share it with you all.

The group posted a picture from the video shoot, of a costumed Dave Grohl, on its Twitter page last night, seen here at right.

'New Fang' video reported on the way

Them Crooked Vultures has shot a video for their single "New Fang" with director Paul Minor, several music news sites have reported. Josh Homme's band Queens of the Stone Age had a video directed by Minor: "3's and 7's" from 2007, which can be seen here.

Speculation on Jimmy Page supergroup unfounded

Yesterday's LedZeppelinNews.com post relating to a possible project with Jimmy Page was unfounded, the result of a misinterpretation. Kevin Shirley has clarified that the list of guitarists he has recorded -- Page, Clapton, Perry, Whitford, the three amigos of Iron Maiden, and all the rest -- is a record of his lifetime achievement, not a list of people he has had in the studio recently, especially not together (imagine that many guitarists plugged in, outside of a jam at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony).

LedZeppelinNews.com approached Shirley for clarification too late, after not only having posted its own misinterpretation of his comments but after other music sites began speculating on a Page/Clapton/Perry/Whitford supergroup or even a Yardbirds reunion. Some sites listed Lemon Squeezings as the source of such speculation.

• Antimusic
• Live4ever.uk.com
• Music Radar
• Mog
  

In particular, Mog made it seem as though Shirley had said in his diary Page, Clapton, Perry and Whitford were going to be in a supergroup. Shirley responded on that site, saying:

And Michael Schumacher will drive the bus... Gordon Ramsey will cater and Spielberg will do the video!!!

It's pretty silly to read between the lines, but I guess it adds hits to the page.

After this, Shirley clarified in an e-mail to LedZeppelinNews.com today:

Hi Steve,
Thanks for the mail.
Unfortunately, it's a misread -- all I said was I am recording a legend (and I have done plenty in the past), and this guy is seriously thrilling!
The Page/Zep thing is not what it is.
There is a supergroup -- there is a classic rock remix, but the speculation is all misguided.
I don't forsee [sic] any future Led Zep related projects, but who knows.
More in the fullness of time.
Thanks again for writing. All the best,
KS

LedZeppelinNews.com regrets the error.

Jimmy Page said to be involved in multi-guitarist project with possible January release date

Update: In a clarification of this post, it is revealed that engineer Kevin Shirley's words were misinterpreted. The guitarists he mentioned were not recorded recently.

While nobody knows what's happening with Aerosmith, guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford have apparently been keeping busy, and in good company too.

Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page have joined them in recording with engineer Kevin Shirley, the man behind the sound of Led Zeppelin's 21st century releases, How the West Was Won, DVD and the reissue of the soundtrack to The Song Remains the Same.

(See previous coverage of The Song Remains the Same including Shirley's interview for Modern Guitars magazine. In 1999, he also engineered the concert dates of Page and the Black Crowes that ended up being released on the live album Live at the Greek.)

Shirley says he has been recording these guitarists and "many others." He hints toward some "high profile projects" about which he's been sworn to secrecy.

"Suffice it to say," offers the father of two infants, "that life is very busy."

Writing from Malibu on his online diary today, he spoke of a "supergroup" project -- his term, not mine (I don't need the derision). He said that come January he would be "producing what has the promise to be one of the most exciting 'supergroups' to come around in a long time.

"But theory is just that until we see how the dynamics play out in the studio between these superb musicians. And of course the songs will make the real difference."

Shirley also said he would be "remixing one of Classic Rock's seriously classic albums." This could be just about anything, but next year marks the 40th anniversary of such perennial favorites as Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, Band of Gypsys, Abraxas, Led Zeppelin III and Live at Leeds.

Perhaps Shirley's biggest news pertains to the litany of axemen he's recorded of late. The others he mentioned by name are John Petrucci of Dream Theater, Neal Schon of Santana and Journey, and Joe Bonamassa.

He also referred to "Maiden's Three Amigos," presumably Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Janick Gers, all of Iron Maiden. Shirley added that he is "to record one of guitar's great legends" in December. Evidently another one of the secret projects.

Page's name was also invoked last week by photographer Ross Halfin, who posted some photos of Page relaxing in front of a jukebox. Hanging on a wall behind the jukebox was a framed picture found to be of Elvis Presley. On the Internet discussion group For Badgeholders Only, user Dawn Atherton discovered the Elvis photograph to have been taken in 1960, upon the King's meeting with the king of Thailand.

Halfin, a traveling companion of Page's and currently the guitarist's No. 1 photographer, writes that Nov. 17 "was a sunny day, good winter light. I was taking pictures for something new - out this January... The King with his jukebox and his photo of the kings - look closely and work it out."

In other Page-related news, "It Might Get Loud" is now set for a theatrical release in England.

Led Zeppelin news source Tight But Loose reports today "It Might Get Loud" will receive a theatrical release in the United Kingdom beginning Jan. 8. The film, which profiles Page, The Edge and Jack White, has already come and gone from U.S. movie theaters. It is also scheduled to have been released for an online download and on DVD and Blu-Ray in the United States this December.

In addition to his on-screen role, Page is credited an associate producer of the film.

Update: At the risk of being redundant, see the clarification of this post for the full story.

U2 producer sneaks Robert Plant into L.A. studio for recording session

Robert Plant's presence in the Los Angeles area two months ago was apparently for more than just some sightseeing.

LedZeppelinNews.com has learned that the former Led Zeppelin frontman was also pulled into a recording session by famed producer Daniel Lanois, whose credits include some "unforgettable" U2 albums, a solo career and a current band project making waves in that area, Black Dub.

Update: Engineer Mark Howard has posted four photos of the recording sessions on MySpace, plus one of them all hanging out. Also pictured is Daryl Johnson, bassist for Black Dub.

Around early October, Plant and Lanois recorded some demos with Black Dub's lead vocalist, Trixie Whitley. At 22, she is a singer-songwriter who plays piano and drums. She has lived in New York and Belgium and has followings in both places.

Best of all, Whitley's Facebook page now confirms Plant as one of the musicians with whom she has worked, along with Vernon Reid, Me'Shell N'Degeocello and her late father, "Big Sky Country" singer Chris Whitley.



A session drummer involved in the recording says he isn't sure what plans Lanois and Plant may have in store. "I honestly don't have too much to say other than we're making some demos," Steven Nistor tells LedZeppelinNews.com.

Nistor is often the go-to guy for whatever drumming needs Lanois has. Among other things, he can be seen backing Lanois during an April 2008 appearance on "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson."

Arctic Monkeys get the Led out backstage

"It feels like the last couple of months in dressing rooms we've not listened to much other than Led Zeppelin," the lead singer and guitarist of the Arctic Monkeys tells Spinner.

"That gets played every day," continues Alex Turner. "It's a constant."

Maybe that has a little something to do with the fact that they recently had a member of Led Zeppelin opening for them in concert.

Back in August, the Arctic Monkeys released their third studio album, Humbug. The disc was produced by Josh Homme, John Paul Jones's bandmate in Them Crooked Vultures. When the Arctic Monkeys played at the O2 Brixton Academy on Aug. 26, their surprise opening act was Them Crooked Vultures.