Chicago-based bluegrass outfit Special Consensus has covered a lot of musical territory in the nearly half a century since banjoist Greg Cahill founded the band in 1975. With their new release 'Great Blue North', Special Consensus turns their gaze northward, across the great lakes, to Canada. The album offers a thoughtfully curated collection of well-known and obscure songs from Canadian writers like Dave Francey and Gordon Lightfoot and features collaborations with some of Canada's most notable bluegrass and folk musicians including Ray Legere, Patrick Sauber, Trisha Gagnon</and John Reischman (The Jaybird Trio), and Pharis & Jason Romero. 'Great Blue North' follows on the heels of the band's award-winning 2020 release 'Chicago Barn Dance'. The album's 10 tracks feature Special Consensus in collaboration with an array of Canadian and US guests including April Verch, Leonard Podolak, Rob Ickes, Darol Anger, John Showman, Dale Ann Bradley, Amanda Smith and the album's producer Alison Brown as well as the guests who contributed to the track "Alberta Bound."