Philosopher Carlos Castaneda explained his supernatural experiences among the Yaqui of the Sonora Desert by saying that if people agree that something is real, it becomes real. He said the role of sorcerers is to create a 'special consensus" that makes the supernatural experience real for participants.
Anyone who has tried to play or sing music with other people will understand why 'The Special Consensus" is a good name for a band, and it's a particularly good name for the band that's coming to the Pistol River Friendship Hall Saturday night.
Based in Chicago, The Special Consensus has been playing bluegrass since 1975, but banjo player Greg Cahill is the only founder who remains with the group.
In the past 37 years, The Special Consensus has found numerous ways to take bluegrass to new audiences. In 1984, the band started the Traditional American Music program, bringing workshops and concerts to schools across the country. Members spend a lot less time in schools than they used to -- "A lot of that money has dried up now," Cahill said. But the band sends a version of its school program around the country by DVD, and young musicians have plenty of opportunities to explore the bluegrass sound and learn the licks via YouTube and other social media.
As well as performing in schools, members of The Special Consensus teach at universities, conduct workshops at bluegrass festivals and make instructional DVDs. They've toured with a musical and visited Europe, Ireland and South America. They've performed with a symphony orchestra. They've sat in on Irish sessions and recorded with Chicago blues artists. Their latest project, Cahill said, is 'an Afro-Latino roots music project" with David Alizo, who sends the band vocal tracks for which they arrange accompaniment with their bluegrass instruments. Cahill has even played on the Jerry Springer Show. And 'if you hear a banjo on a McDonald's commercial, it could be me," he said.
Though he's traveled a lot of the world, Cahill's not a stranger to Pistol River, which used to be a regular stop for the band when it toured on wheels instead of wings. 'Pistol River is one of our very fond memories," Cahill said. 'We used to play there every year in the -- 70s and early -- 80s. But by the -- 90s, it fell off our radar, because we fly and it isn't on our beaten path." But the band organized a driving tour this year, and will be playing Bend on Friday and then driving to Pistol RIver Saturday.
The Special Consensus' most recent release was '35," a 2010 album celebrating the band's 35th anniversary with tracks from out-of-print releases, showcasing vocals by former band personnel. But at Pistol River, the band will be looking forward, not backward. It'll play original songs from an album it recently recorded in Nashville for Compass Records. 'We tapped our professional songwriter friends," Cahill said.
To hear those Afro-Latino tracks, though, we'll just have to wait. They're so spontaneous, said Cahill, 'we can't remember them yet."
