Bluegrass Music at it’s Finest
By Marty Warburton, Cedar City Music Arts
The smoke is finally clearing from last month’s presentation of “Due West” by Cedar City Music Arts. Over 1,500 southern Utahns, both young and old, squoze into the Heritage Center Theater and were treated to a day of fantastic top notch professional musicianship. But yeah, that’s what CCMA does and has been doing for the last 96 years and counting.
Season number ninety-six continues on Tuesday, March 10th when the Grammy nominated, award winning and well traveled band “The Special Consensus” blows into Cedar City and takes the Heritage Center Theater stage. This highly polished, highly respected quartet is one of Bluegrass music’s longest tenured bands, tracing its roots back to 1975.
Celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2025, Special Consensus, known as “Special C” by fans and contemporaries, is a Grammy-nominated bluegrass band led by banjo master and International Bluegrass Music Association’s Distinguished Achievement Award recipient Greg Cahill. With twenty two albums, eight IBMA awards, and two Grammy nominations, the band is known for its distinctive blend of traditional bluegrass drive with contemporary harmonies and songwriting. Current members include Cahill (5 string banjo), current IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year award winner Greg Blake (guitar), Nico Humby (bass), and Brian McCarty (mandolin). Their dynamic sound continues to push the envelope of precision musicianship and intricate vocal acrobatics.
Special Consensus tours worldwide and records for Compass Records, most recently releasing Been All Around This World to mark their 50-year milestone. Their legacy includes international performances, symphony collaborations, and the long-running Traditional American Music (TAM) educational program. With a deep respect for bluegrass roots and an ever-evolving creative spirit, Special C remains one of the genre’s most enduring and innovative bands.
Greg Cahill has become somewhat of a Bluegrass Jedi, performing as the only original member of the band; dozens upon dozens of virtuoso grade musicians have passed through the ranks of performing with Special C over the years. An indoctrination into the lifestyle of serious professional touring musicianship like no other. Included are coveted nods of respect for having been graced with such an opportunity, and such an education. They are Masters of pure, powerful, acoustic music.
By getting this far into this article, you now deserve the answer to the question that has been on your mind since the onset: Why is a Bluegrass band called “Special Consensus”. Right?
Ok, so, 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. If you have any doubts about the possibility of such a metaphysical confluence happening in Cedar City, buy a ticket. Bring a note from your mother and be ready to ride the ride.
Go to cedarcitymusicarts.org, or call The Heritage Center Theater Box Office at 435-865-2882 for Tickets, or just purchase at the door on March 10th. Doors open at 6:30pm, concert at 7:30pm.