The Special Consensus is a bluegrass band that has achieved a contemporary sound in its more than four decades of performing, making its music a modern classic. Band leader and founder Greg Cahill is a recipient of the prestigious Distinguished Achievement Award from the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) and the band itself has received five IBMA awards and two Grammy nominations.

The group’s sound is grounded in a deep appreciation and understanding of bluegrass music. With Cahill’s unique banjo-playing style as a foundation, Rick Faris (guitar), Nate Burie (mandolin), and Dan Eubanks (bass) effortlessly support each other and consistently maintain a bluegrass center whether they’re playing a jazz-tinged instrumental or a song from the band’s award-winning John Denver tribute album. These four talented vocalists and instrumentalists follow their creative desires without straying too far from their roots.

Rivers and Roads, the band’s 19th recording, received a 2019 Grammy nomination, five 2018 IBMA nominations and was named IBMA Album of the Year. The tune “Squirrel Hunters” from that recording received the Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year award.

International tours have brought the band to Canada, Europe, South America, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The group also has appeared on National Public Radio, The Nashville Network, at the Grand Ole Opry in the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, and in concert with symphony orchestras nationwide.

Dedicated to preserving bluegrass music, in 1984 The Special Consensus initiated the Traditional American Music (TAM) Program to introduce bluegrass music to students in schools across the country and in several foreign lands.

The Special Consensus’ continued success is a testament to its adaptability and contemporary appeal. The band records for Compass Records and proudly celebrates its 45th anniversary in 2020.