Grammy-nominated Chicago bluegrass quartet set for Ellen show
The Bozeman Folklore Society will present Grammy-nominated bluegrass group The Special Consensus live in concert on Friday, September 21st at Downtown Bozeman’s Ellen Theatre beginning at 7:30pm.
Formed in the Chicago area in 1975, the acoustic bluegrass four-piece brings a repertoire that features traditional bluegrass standards, original compositions by band members and professional songwriters, and songs from other musical genres performed in the bluegrass format. The band has released 19 recordings and has appeared on numerous National Public Radio programs and cable television shows, including The Nashville Network and the Grand Ole Opry at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. International tours have brought the band to Australia, Canada, Europe, South America, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The Special Consensus has appeared in concert with many symphony orchestras nationwide and has brought an informative in-school presentation to schools nationally and internationally since 1984.
Band leader Greg Cahill (banjo) is the former President/Board Chair of the Nashville-based International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), the former Board Chair of the Nashville-based Foundation for Bluegrass Music, and a recipient of the prestigious IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award (in 2011). Other band members include Rick Faris (guitar), Dan Eubanks (bass) and Nick Dumas (mandolin).
Their 2012 release, Scratch Gravel Road, was Grammy-nominated for Best Bluegrass Album and two songs from the 2014’s Country Boy: A Bluegrass Tribute to John Denver won IBMA awards for Recorded Event of the Year and Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year. The tune “Fireball” (featuring special guests Rob Ickes, Trey Hensley and Alison Brown) on 2016’s Long I Ride won the 2016 IBMA Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year Award. The Special Consensus’s latest album, Rivers and Roads, released in the spring.
Tickets for this evening of bluegrass music are $27 in advance at www.theellentheatre.org and at the door. For more information about The Special Consensus, check out www.specialc.com.
Bozeman Folklore Society is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting, preserving, enjoying, and sharing the music, dance, arts, crafts, and skills of traditional cultures. For further event details, call Rik James at (406) 586-4123. Please visit www.bozemanfolklore.org for all upcoming BFS concert and dance information. •
