("Dennis/Photo Gallery")

(“Dennis’s E-mail Link”)

Dennis Schubnell/Mandolin

     Dennis brings the valuable talent of song writing to the group.  As time progresses with the band, the guys hope to introduce more and more of Dennis’s original, fantastic material to the bluegrass world.  Don’t even begin to think that his contributions to Common Ground stop there though.   Dennis is a very skilled Mandolinist, as well as a very fine lead/tenor/baritone harmony vocalist.  Between Dennis’s mighty chop on that Flatiron F-5 mandolin, and Jack’s rock solid timing on that upright bass, we stay in perfect time.  His vocals are just as incredibly strong too.  Listening to Dennis Sing, you can’t help but hear the style of one of Dennis’s biggest influences, a touch of Seldom Scene’s John Duffey.

     Dennis has been interested in music and singing almost all of his life, but it wasn’t until the 1980’s when he discovered bluegrass music.  Just think of all of those years he had to go through life deprived of this music.  Anyway, that’s another story in itself.  Dennis started in bluegrass music in pretty much the way most people usually start.  He wanted to learn to play the banjo.  Wel go figure that.  Oh God! Not another banjo player.  Actually, all the members of Common Ground can play the banjo.  It’s like some kind of rampant plague.  Just kidding.  In fact his first bluegrass instrument was a banjo.  A friend wanted to learn as well, so Dennis picked a couple of banjos up for the both of them.  From there he migrated over to the mandolin.  In the 80’s he was a member of George Steven’s Back Porch Bluegrass, where he performed on stage and in the studio for recording projects.  In the 90’s Dennis was a member of life long friend Michael Cleveland’s Blue Hollow Band.  There he performed on stage and recorded in the studio as well.  Dennis also recorded on Michael’s first professional solo project, (Sawing On The C String).

     “My influences are John Duffey, of course, as well as The Seldom Scene, Charlie Waller & The Country Gentlemen, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, J. D. Crowe & The New South, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, and last but not least the legendary Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys.  I promise to keep the old songs alive and try to write a few new ones along the way.  So in the words of the late John Duffey, (“bless your hearts and all your vital organs.”), Now lets pick some bluegrass.”

---Ronnie Deaton