The Special Consensus is an acoustic bluegrass group led by banjoist Greg Cahill.
Biography History In 1973, graduate student Cahill jammed with other bluegrass musicians at the University of Chicago Folk Festival. They began playing house parties, but in 1975 Cahill and bassist Marc Edelstein decided to pursue a music career for a few years as Special Consensus. The initial line-up included Cahill, Edelstein, Jeremy Raven (mandolin), Jim Iberg (guitar), and Jim Hale (fiddle).
The band name was inspired by a series of books written by Carlos Castenada about rituals of the Yaqui Indians. Special Consensus was a state where spiritual and physical good things physically came together. Plus, a band is a consensus of musicians providing performance and inspiration.
As of 2021, the Special Consensus membership has included 18 guitarists, 12 bass players, 18 mandolin players, and two fiddlers. Bandleader Greg Cahill has been the one consistent member through the band's history.
Touring Special Consensus tours frequently across the U.S. Every other year, the band has also toured Ireland and the United Kingdom, through at least 2017.
Bluegrass In Schools In 1984, The Special Consensus initiated the Traditional American Music (TAM) Program, in which they introduce students and teachers to bluegrass in schools across the country. Cahill estimates TAM has reached approximately one million children.
Special Consensus has also been involved with IBMA's Bluegrass In The Schools (BGIS) program. Cahill has been chairman of the BGIS Committee. He and his wife Jackie wrote a BGIS Implementation manual. In addition, Special Consensus provided the instrumentation for a Discover Bluegrass DVD.
Awards The group is a two-time Grammy nominee for "Best Bluegrass Album of the Year" for the 2012 album Scratch Gravel Road, and the 2018 album Rivers and Roads.
Special Consensus has won a number of International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) awards through the years. https://ibma.org/award-recipients/special-consensus/
Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year 2014: "Thank God I'm A Country Boy" 2016: "Fireball" 2018: Squirrel Hunters
Collaborative Recording of the Year (formerly Recorded Event of the Year) 2014: "Wild Montana Skies" 2023: "Alberta Bound"
Album of the Year 2018: Rivers & Roads
Song of the Year 2020: "Chicago Barn Dance"
Music Video of the Year 2024: "Alberta Bound"
The individual members of Special Consensus have received IBMA awards during their tenure in the band.
Reunion concerts Every five years, current and past members of the Special Consensus gather for and perform in an anniversary concert, often at Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago.
Past members 1975–1976 1976–1977 1977–1979Greg Cahill – banjo Marc Edelstein – vocals, bass Jeremy Raven – mandolin Jim Iberg – vocals, guitar Jim Hale – fiddleGreg Cahill – banjo Marc Edelstein – vocals, bass Wally Vispoel – mandolin Ed Walsh – vocals, guitarGreg Cahill – banjo Marc Edelstein – vocals, bass Mark Weiss – mandolin Ed Walsh – guitar 1979–1981 1981–1982 1982–1984Greg Cahill – banjo Marc Edelstein – vocals, bass Mark Weiss – mandolin Mitch Corbin – vocals, guitarGreg Cahill – banjo Marc Edelstein – vocals, bass Mark Weiss – mandolin Chris Jones - vocals, guitarGreg Cahill – banjo John Rice – vocals, bass Paul Kramer – vocals, mandolin Chris Jones - vocals, guitar 1984 1984–1985 1985Greg Cahill – banjo Jerry Eliason – vocals, bass Howie Tarnower - vocals, mandolin Chris Jones – vocals, guitarGreg Cahill – banjo Jerry Eliason – vocals, bass Tim Wilson – vocals, mandolin Chris Jones – vocals, guitarGreg Cahill – banjo Jerry Eliason – bass Tim Wilson – mandolin Tim Gleason - vocals, guitar 1985–1988 1988 1988–1989Greg Cahill – banjo Scott Salak – bass Tim Wilson – mandolin Dennis White - vocals, guitarGreg Cahill – banjo Scott Salak – vocals, bass Tim Wilson – vocals, mandolin Bob Lucas – vocals, guitarGreg Cahill – banjo Scott Salak – vocals, bass Tim Wilson – vocals, mandolin Robbie Fulks - vocals, guitar 1989–1990 1990–1991 1992–1993Greg Cahill – banjo Dallas Wayne - vocals, bass Tim Wilson – vocals, mandolin Robbie Fulks - vocals, guitarGreg Cahill – banjo Dennis Wayne – vocals, bass Don Stiernberg - vocals, mandolin Marty Marrone – vocals, guitar Al Murphy – fiddleGreg Cahill – banjo Darren Wilcox - bass, vocals Drew Carson – mandolin Marty Marrone - vocals, guitar 1993–1994 1994–1995 1995Greg Cahill – banjo Darren Wilcox - vocals, bass Keith Baumann – mandolin Marty Marrone - vocals, guitarGreg Cahill – banjo Darren Wilcox - vocals, bass Drew Carson – mandolin Marty Marrone - vocals, guitarGreg Cahill – banjo Darren Wilcox – vocals, bass John Wheat - mandolin Marty Marrone – vocals, guitar 1995–1996 1996–1997 1997Greg Cahill – banjo Darren Wilcox - bass, vocals Colby Maddox – vocals, mandolin Marty Marrone - vocals, guitarGreg Cahill – banjo Diana Phillips - vocals, bass Colby Maddox – vocals, mandolin Bobby Burns - vocals, guitarGreg Cahill – banjo Diana Phillips - vocals, bass Colby Maddox – vocals, mandolin Clem O'Brien - vocals, guitar 1997–1999 1999–2001 2001–2004Greg Cahill – banjo Andrea Roberts – vocals, bass Colby Maddox - vocals, mandolin Chris Walz – vocals, guitarGreg Cahill – banjo Tim Dishman - vocals, bass Josh Williams – vocals, mandolin Chris Walz - vocals, guitarGreg Cahill – banjo Tim Dishman - vocals, bass Josh Williams – vocals, mandolin Jamie Clifton - vocals, guitar 2004–2006 2006–2007 2007–2009Greg Cahill – banjo Tres Nugent - vocals, bass Ron Spears – vocals, mandolin Justin Carbone - vocals, guitarGreg Cahill – banjo David Thomas – vocals, bass Ron Spears - vocals, mandolin Justin Carbone – vocals, guitarGreg Cahill – banjo David Thomas - vocals, bass Ashby Frank – vocals, mandolin Justin Carbone - vocals, guitar 2009–2011 2011–2013 2013–2014Greg Cahill – banjo David Thomas - vocals, bass Rick Faris – vocals, mandolin Ryan Roberts - vocals, guitarGreg Cahill – banjo David Thomas - vocals, bass Rick Faris – vocals, mandolin Dustin Benson - vocals, guitarGreg Cahill – banjo Dan Eubanks – vocals, bass Rick Faris - vocals, mandolin Dustin Benson – vocals, guitar 2014–2015 2015–2019 2019–2021Greg Cahill – banjo Dan Eubanks - vocals, bass Rick Faris – vocals, mandolin Dustin Benson - vocals, guitarGreg Cahill – banjo Dan Eubanks - vocals, bass Nick Dumas – vocals, mandolin Rick Faris – vocals, guitarGreg Cahill – banjo Dan Eubanks - vocals, bass Nate Burie – vocals, mandolin Rick Faris - vocals, guitar 2021–2023 2023–2024 2024–2025Greg Cahill – banjo Dan Eubanks – vocals, bass Michael Prewitt - vocals, mandolin Greg Blake – guitarGreg Cahill – banjo Dan Eubanks - vocals, bass Michael Prewitt – vocals, mandolin Greg Blake - vocals, guitarGreg Cahill – banjo Dan Eubanks - vocals, bass Brian McCarty – vocals, mandolin Greg Blake - vocals, guitar 2025–presentGreg Cahill – banjo Nico Humby - vocals, bass Brian McCarty – vocals, mandolin Greg Blake - vocals, guitar
Discography Albums 1979: Special Consensus Bluegrass Band (Tin Ear) 1983: Blue Northerns (Acoustic Revival) 1986: Freight Train Boogie (Turquoise) 1989: A Hole in My Heart (Turquoise) 1991: Hey Y'All (Turquoise) 1993: Green Rolling Hills (Turquoise) 1995: Roads and Rails (ShyTown) 1996: Strong Enough to Bend (Pinecastle) 1998: Our Little Town (Pinecastle) 2000: 25th Anniversary CD, DVD (Pinecastle) 2002: Route 10 (Pinecastle) 2005: Everything's Alright (Pinecastle) 2007: The Trail of Aching Hearts (Pinecastle) 2009: Signs (Pinecastle) 2010: 35 (Compass) 2012: Scratch Gravel Road (Compass) 2014: Country Boy: A Bluegrass Tribute To John Denver (Compass) as Special Consensus & Friends 2016: Long I Ride (Compass) 2018: Rivers and Roads (Compass) 2020: Chicago Barn Dance (Compass) 2023: Great Blue North (Compass) 2025: Been All Around This World (Compass)
As primary artist/contributor 2001: various artists - In Memory of a Friend: A Tribute to Randall Hylton (Pinecastle) - track 5, "Thirty-Two Acres of Bottom Land" 2003: various artists - Blue Ridge Mountain Gospel, Vol. 3 (Pinecastle) - track 8, "When the Walls Come Tumblin' Down"; track 13, "Come Unto Me" 2003: various artists - Americana Gospel Series, Vol. 1 (Pinecastle) - track 2-09, "New Jerusalem" 2003: various artists - Pinecastle Christmas Gathering (Pinecastle) - track 16, "Go Tell It on the Mountain" 2007: various artists - Folksongs Of Illinois #1 (Illinois Humanities Council) - track 1, "Nine Pound Hammer" 2008: various artists Bluegrass Jamboree DVD (Pinecastle) - track 12, "Silver Dew on the Bluegrass Tonight"; track 13, "Listening to the Rain"; track 14, "Irish Medley" 2013: various artists - Roanoke: The Music of Bill Monroe (Pinecastle) - track 6, "Strawberry Point"
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