By Eric Kwiatkowski

Other concerts: | 1997 | 1999 | 2001-a | 2001-b | 2001-c |

Some evenings are special - the blend's perfect - and this was one of them! It was a new version of Special Consensus that came to Nottingham on this occasion, with leader Greg Cahill the only familiar face from their previous visits, and what a powerhouse they turned out to be!

The new members were Ron Spears on mandolin, Justin Carbone on guitar, and Tres Nugent on bass. The group's vocals were outstanding, from the four part harmonies of the gospel Lord show me the Righteous Pathway to the incredible Today has been a Lonesome Day, featuring Ron's sledgehammer delivery of this old bluegrass standard in the key of B. He's a bluegrass singer of the old school; just listen to the group's new CD Everything's Alright (Pinecastle PRC 1142) to hear this one. Ron's a player who can vary mandolin styles - as with his predecessor in the group, Josh Williams, there's a lot of Herschel Sizemore's influence there, but Bill Monroe really came to the fore later in the evening. Ron said that he used to enjoy playing Monroe style 'riffs' and demonstrated an example. He then went on to play a beautiful minor-key Monroe-style tune called Poor Monroe! He absolutely had the style and even mandolin tone just right - it was beautiful. The whole group gave this one a good workout, with interesting and extended solos.

Justin Carbone is a guitarist of what some refer to as the 'modern' school; think Kenny Smith or Tony Rice for an idea of his sound if you haven't heard him. His solos were beautifully crafted, with plenty of originality, for example his tune Beginner's Luck. Definitely not for the beginner! Justin also sang lead and harmonised, demonstrating his good bluegrass-style voice.

Bassist Tres comes from a bluegrass-orientated family hailing from Louisiana. A strong lead and tenor singer, he also played it 'right' on the bass - simple uncluttered lines where needed, and in the next minute walking-style lines on swing numbers such as Merle Travis' Sweet Temptation.

The group played a mixture of original and traditional material throughout the evening, from Greg Cahill's Margarita Breakdown to Bill Monroe's "Blue Moon of Kentucky" and "Molly and Tenbrooks", all delivered with a real heavyweight musical punch and passion. Leader Greg Cahill's banjo work demonstrated the wealth of talent and experience of years in his playing - always fresh and interesting, but with all the roots of bluegrass banjo woven into the mix.

I've often thought that bluegrass concerts over here are looking like a Saga Holidays convention these days, with no young faces in the audience. It was therefore a pleasure to hear a young couple talking to the group during the interval - having not heard bluegrass music before, they'd been completely bowled over by the sound, and wanted to know more. They couldn't have had a better introduction to the music!

Again, thanks to Geoff and Pat Bowers for their tireless efforts in promoting these wonderful concerts; truly a labour of love and passion for the music.

If anyone reading this is idly contemplating going to the next one, do go! You'll hear nothing but top class bluegrass all evening. The groups have travelled thousands of miles to be here, and give of their best for a solid evening's entertainment, with no 'warm up' group beforehand, so you'll certainly get your money's worth. There's also the chance to speak to the group and buy videos and CDs during the intervals. The locals are friendly and don't bite! Y'all come, now!

Eric Kwiatkowski, Nottingham