Famed bluegrass band tours Montana in June
The Grammy-nominated bluegrass band kicks off the Ruby Jewel Jamboree with a statewide tour 7:30 p.m. June 11 at Ruby’s Inn in Missoula, 7:30 p.m. June 14 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Great Falls, and 7:30 p.m. June 13 at the Hampton Inn in Billings.
These top-notch performers, led by banjo-player Cahill, deliver hard-driving bluegrass, hot picking, tasty harmonies, and sweet a cappella gospel numbers. “The vocals are spotless, the playing as shiny as a newly minted penny, and music like this is the reason people come to love bluegrass,” writes the Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange.
Formed in the Chicago area in 1975, the quartet boasts a wide-ranging repertoire that includes traditional bluegrass standards, original compositions by band members and professional songwriters, and songs from other musical genres performed in the bluegrass format. The band has released 17 recordings and has appeared on numerous National Public Radio programs and cable television shows, and on stage at the fabled Grand Ole Opry at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. International tours have brought them to Australia, Canada, Europe, South America, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Band leader Cahill is the former president of the Nashville-based International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), the former board chair of the Nashville-based Foundation for Bluegrass Music, and a recipient of the prestigious IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award in 2011.
Other band members include mandolin player Rick Faris, guitarist Dustin Benson and bass player Dan Eubanks. The 2012 band release Scratch Gravel Road was nominated for a Grammy Award, and two songs from the 2014 release Country Boy: A Bluegrass Tribute To John Denver won IBMA awards.
“Yes, Special Consensus may be Chicago’s very own veteran bluegrass band, but talent like this is the property of the world,” wrote David Royko in the Chicago Tribune.
For all shows, call 406-546-6327 or visit rubyjeweljamboree.com.