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This 2020 Compass Records release received the IBMA Song of the Year award for "Chicago Barn Dance." The recording celebrates both the 45th Special C anniversary and the long-standing connection of country and bluegrass music with Chicago from the time of the WLS “National Barn Dance” that was a precursor to the Grand Ole Opry.
The songs relate to Chicago and/or are written by artists who once lived in Chicago. Band members Greg Cahill, banjo; Rick Faris, guitar; Dan Eubanks, bass and Nate Burie, mandolin are joined by guest artists that include Mike Barnett, Becky Buller, Michael Cleveland, Robbie Fulks, Rob Ickes, Patrick McAveninue, Ned Luberecki and Alison Brown.
IBMA Album of the Year and GRAMMY nominee for Best Bluegrass Album in 2018! Special C tips the hat to John Hartford with their 19th band recording, released by Compass Records, that includes John’s song Way Down The River Road and his playing on Squirrel Hunters.
This record features guest appearances by Bobby Osborne, Molly Tuttle, Becky Buller, 10 String Symphony, Justin Moses, Josh Williams, Mark Schatz and producer Alison Brown. The recording also received the 2018 IBMA Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year Award for "Squirrel Hunters." Band members include Greg Cahill, banjo; Rick Faris, guitar; Dan Eubanks, bass and Nick Dumas, mandolin.
Long I Ride celebrates Special Consensus’ 40th anniversary as a band with an engaging set of songs and guest collaborations that includes bluegrass favorites Della Mae, Rob Ickes, Trey Hensley, Summer McMahan, Buddy Spicher, Matt Combs and Alison Brown.
Compass Records released the recording and it received the 2016 IBMA Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year Award for "Fireball." Band members include Greg Cahill, banjo; Rick Faris, guitar; Dan Eubanks, bass and Nick Dumas, mandolin.
Special Consensus and Friends pay tribute to John Denver on ten of his popular songs, with Dale Ann Bradley, Jason Carter, Michael Cleveland, John Cowan, Rob Ickes, Jim Lauderdale, Claire Lynch, Peter Rowan, Buddy Spicher, Rhonda Vincent and Alison Brown joining band members Greg Cahill, banjo; Dustin Benson, guitar; Rick Faris, mandolin and Dan Eubanks, bass.
This Compass Records recording received the 2014 IBMA Recorded Event of the Year Award for "Wild Montana Skies" and the Instrumental Recorded Event of the Year Award for "Thank God I’m A Country Boy."
GRAMMY nominated for Best Bluegrass Album in 2012! Released by Compass Records, this is the 16th Special C recording. Most of the songs were given to the band by top songwriters including Dixie and Tom T. Hall and Billy Smith; Tim Stafford and Jon Weisberger; Brink Brinkman and Tony Rackely; Craig Market, Ronnie Bowman and Bob Minner; Harley Allen; Becky Buller.
Band members include Greg Cahill, banjo; Dustin Benson, guitar; Rick Faris, mandolin and David Thomas, bass with guest appearances by Chris Jones, Josh Williams and Alison Brown.
This first Special C release on the Compass Records label celebrates the band’s 35th anniversary! It is the 15th Special Consensus recording and includes six songs by the current band members Greg Cahill, banjo; Ryan Roberts, guitar; Rick Faris, mandolin and David Thomas, bass.
Six songs from previous now out of print Special C recordings include band alum guitar players Chris Jones, Marty Marrone, Dennis White and Chris Walz; mandolin players Don Stiernberg, Paul Kramer, Drew Carson, Tim Wilson and Colby Maddox; fiddle player Al Murphy and bass players Dallas Wayne, John Rice, Darren Wilcox, Scott Salak and Andrea Roberts. Special guests include fiddler Stuart Duncan and dobro player Andy Hall.
Signs is the14th band recording that mostly includes songs written by band members and friends of the band. Several selections received extensive airplay and climbed the bluegrass charts.
A Pinecastle Records release, this features band members Greg Cahill, banjo; Justin Carbone, guitar; Ashby Frank, mandolin and David Thomas, bass with special guests Randy Kohrs, dobro; Tim Crouch, fiddle and Sonya Issacs singing on the song Footprints.
The title of this Pinecastle Records release is from the Hank Snow classic Down The Trail of Aching Hearts, which is featured on this recording along with songs by band members (I’d Like To Wander Back To The Old Home by Ron Spears); friends of the band (including Josie’s Reel by Naill Toner and Keith Sewell) and an old standard (Blue Skies by Irving Berlin). Band members include Greg Cahill, banjo; Justin Carbone, guitar; Ron Spears, mandolin and David Thomas, bass.
This Pinecastle Records release celebrates songs written by band members, including favorites Everything’s Alright (by Justin Carbone) and Carolina Smokey Mountain Home (by Ron Spears).
Other highlights include special guests Tim Dishman, bass (track 6); Randy Kohrs, dobro; Andy Leftwich, fiddles and Josh Williams, mandolin (track 6) joining band members Greg Cahill, banjo; Justin Carbone, guitar; Ron Spears, mandolin and Tres Nugent, bass.
This Pinecastle Records recording is the 11th band recording and it features several of our most requested songs, including Rounder’s Spirit; Carolina In The Pines; Route 10, Box 782; Amy and Trevor and Say You’ll Stay In My Arms.
Band members Greg Cahill, banjo; Josh Williams, mandolin; Jamie Clifton, guitar and Tim Dishman, bass, are joined by special guests Rob Ickes playing dobro and Ron Stewart playing fiddle.
Pinecastle Records celebrates the 25th anniversary of The Special Consensus (formed in 1975). The first ten songs are by the current band: Greg Cahill, banjo; Josh Williams, mandolin; Tim Dishman, bass; Chris Walz, guitar.
The other ten songs are from previous now out of print Special C recordings and feature Greg Cahill, banjo; guitar players Ed Walsh, Chris Jones, Dennis White, Robbie Fulks and Marty Marrone; mandolin players Mark Weiss, Tim Wilson, Paul Kramer, Don Stiernberg and Drew Carson; bass players Marc Edelstein, Scott Salak, Dallas Wayne, John Rice and Darren Wilcox; fiddle player Al Murphy and guest fiddle players Ollie O’Shea and Glen Duncan.
Like the album, the Great Blue North T-Shirt is a tip of our hats to our Canadian friends, as we have been playing concerts and festivals in Canada for four decades.
Our 45th Anniversary T-Shirts include the Chicago Barn Dance logo on the front and the names of all band members since 1975 on the back.
Our 40th Anniversary T-shirts feature our anniversary logo on the front and the names of all band members since 1975. Size XXL.
Our classic Special C logo t-shirts are single sided and available in two colors: black or ash.
This book for 5-string banjo includes 50 lessons for the three-finger banjo playing style and 50 lessons for the clawhammer banjo playing style. The lessons include detailed instruction on numerous topics with playing examples presented in banjo tablature and with chord and neck diagrams. Access to over 500 audio tracks with performance demos by the authors of all the examples in the book is also included.
Some of the lessons include playing in different keys, tunings and timings, chord charts and chordal theory, major and minor scales, understanding modes, song arranging and composition, playing backup, transposing solos, improvisation and creating harmony parts.
This book provides easy-to-read banjo tab, chord symbols and lyrics for many popular songs and tunes. Explore 25 clawhammer and 25 three-finger-style banjo arrangements in a variety of tunings and capoings with this one-of-a-kind collection.
Some of the songs included are:
Angel from Montgomery • Blowin’ in the Wind • Carolina in My Mind • Cripple Creek • Danny Boy • The House of the Rising Sun • I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow • Maple Leaf Rag • Hey, Good Lookin’ • Shady Grove • Take Me Home, Country Roads • This Land Is Your Land • Wildwood Flower • All of Me • Little Rock Getaway
Complete tablature transcriptions of all of Greg’s banjo solos and all the backup from the award-winning Compass Records recording Country Boy: A Bluegrass Tribute To John Denver. Transcribed By Russell Sawler.
Songs included in the book are:
Wild Montana Skies, Thank God I’m A Country Boy, Poems, Prayers & Promises, Take Me Home Country Roads, Sunshine On My Shoulder, Back Home Again, Rocky Mountain High, Eagles & Horses, Matthew
Release by Special C guitarist and 2023 IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year Greg Blake
Courtesy of Turnberry Records
Release by Special C guitarist and 2023 IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year Greg Blake
Compass Records recording Great Blue North is a tip of our hats to our Canadian friends, as we have been playing concerts and festivals in Canada for four decades. All songs on this recording were written by Canadian songwriters and the instrumental medley features traditional Canadian tunes.
Band members Greg Cahill, banjo; Dan Eubanks, bass; Greg Blake, guitar; and Michael Prewitt, mandolin are joined by US and Canadian guest artist friends John Reischman, Trisha Gagnon and Patrick Sauber (The Jaybird Trio), Claire Lynch, Darol Anger, Pharis and Jason Romero, Dale Ann Bradley, April Verch, Ray Legere, Amanda Smith, John Showman, Leonard Podolak, Rob Ickes and Alison Brown.