EFFECTIVE: Saturday, January 15, 2011 /9:09:55 AM
Wednesday, January 12, 2011.
I would like to start the newsletter, for this year, by thanking everyone who offered support and prayers for my mom, (June Deaton), during her 4 year battle with breast cancer. Unfortunately, my mom lost that battle on November 16 of last year, after a short time of admittance to the Hazard Appalachian Medical Center. She had just received test results showing that the chemo treatments were still working against the cancer, but her life ended unexpectedly due to the complications after having a stroke. I’m sure it was a direct result though of the cancer and all of the treatments that Mom had undergone.
It touched me deeply that so many people sent cards of sympathy and flowers to the funeral. Dave, Dennis, Jack and Jack’s wife Linda came down to Hazard the day of the funeral. That’s no short drive either. I want to thank everyone, and I want to let you know that I really appreciate everyone for their support.
I lost my dad about 27 years ago in an automobile crash. I thought that that was a difficult thing to deal with at that time, but it doesn’t even compare to losing your mom. Be sure that you cherish every moment while your loved ones are still with you. None of us have the promise of tomorrow.
Common Ground will be in Richmond, Kentucky as a LIVE guest on Charlie Hall’s bluegrass radio show, (The Bluegrass Express), coming up on Sunday February 13. We’ll be down there as Charlie’s guest, promoting our upcoming show at Meadow Green Park, the following Saturday. We will be in Clay City, Kentucky that following Saturday for a performance at the Meadowgreen Music Park, along with The All American Bluegrass Band. This concert is part of the Kentucky Friends of Bluegrass Club’s concert series. Our segment on Charlie’s show is scheduled to begin at 07:00-PM that evening and could last for an hour or more. We will be playing some of our latest material that will be out on our new CD release in the spring. We will also revisit some of our tracks from the first Common Ground release, “One for the Road”.
Charlie’s program can be heard on “The Coyote”, WCYO-FM 100.7 each and every Sunday evening from 06:00-PM to 10:00-PM. If you would like to listen to our portion of his show “LIVE”, you can listen to Richmond, Kentucky’s BIG 100 on the World Wide Web at http://wcyo.com. Just click on the “LISTEN LIVE” link at the top of the page and enjoy.
Charlie also has a program on the WWB, (World Wide Bluegrass), on Tuesday nights called The Kentucky Home place. This program begins at 08:00-PM and runs until 10:00-PM. You can log on and hear Charlie at http://www.worldwidebluegrass.com.
Please be sure to support this and any other bluegrass related broadcast. You, the fan, are what made this music what it is today. Thank you so much for your support.
In other news, we are still in the process of finishing our second CD project. In February of 2009, we went back into the studio, with long time friend and 8-time IBMA Fiddle Player Of The Year Michael Cleveland as our producer once again, and we started work on a new bluegrass project. Steve Cooley will be handling the technical and engineering work also once again. I guess when you have something that works, you stick with it. Just some minor vocal studio work is all that stands in the way of a finished product. The CD is a mix of bluegrass and gospel once again, with 3 more of Dennis’s original tunes making the project this go around. Of course Michael was convinced to do a little fiddlin’ on the project as well. Below are the tentative tracks making up the collection.
01: Tupalo County Jail
02: Where Corn Don’t Grow
03: Picker’s Prayer (Writer Dennis Schubnell)
04: In Despair
05: Blue Diamond Mine
06: Be Good To My Little Baby Girl
07: God Reached Way Below The Bottom
08: Kentucky Girl
09: Casey’s Dream (Writer Dennis Schubnell)
10: Never Again
11: Out Of The Darkness (Writer Dennis Schubnell)
12: Sea Of Heartbreak
13: Working In The Vineyard
Please don’t forget about the first Common Ground release, (One For The Road). It’s still around if you don’t have one and would like to get one for a gift or for yourself. Here is the track list.
01: Tearing Pine Mountain Down
02: California Cotton Fields
03: Listening To The Rain
04: Silas Cain (Written by Dennis Schubnell)
05: Leaves That Are Green Turned To Brown
06: 40 Years Of Trouble
07: Just Like You
08: Cold Sheets Of Rain
09: When I Walk Up That Street Of Gold
10: Long Black Vail
11: West Virginia Girl
12: Mary Anne
13: Who Will Sing For Me
14: One For The Road (Written by Dennis Schubnell)
COUNTY SALES
February 2009
Issue Review
COMMON GROUND – “ONE FOR THE ROAD”
Competent, solid & straight Bluegrass produced by Michael Cleveland, (who also plays the fiddle parts on this 14-song album). A good selection of songs includes; WHO WILL SING FOR ME, JUST LIKE YOU, COLD SHEETS OF RAIN, LONG BLACK VEIL, MARY ANN, 40 YEARS, etc.
County Sales
BLUEGRASS MUSIC PROFILES
November/December 2008
Issue Review
COMMON GROUND – “ONE FOR THE ROAD”
This is the very first release by Common Ground based out of Southern Indiana. They have been together only three years and in that time they have gelled into one fantastic bluegrass band. Their lead and harmony vocals are tight and strong, instrumentation is very solid, with Dave Leonard’s banjo coming through clear as a bell.
This project was recorded at Michael Cleveland’s studio and engineered by Steve Coolley. Michael plays fiddle on several of the cuts. The other fine artists on this project are Dennis Schubnell on mandolin, Ronnie Deaton on guitar, and Jack Bustle on the dog house bass.
This project features 14 songs and my favorite is the original tune, “One For The Road” penned by Schubnell. Other tracks include, “Tearing Pine Mountain Down”, “California Cotton Fields”, “Listening To The Rain”, “Silas Cain”, “Leaves That Are Green”, “40 Years”, “Just Like You”, “Mary Ann”.
CH (Charlie Hall)
BLUEGRASS UNLIMITED
November 2008
Issue Review
COMMON GROUND – “ONE FOR THE ROAD”
Common Ground, from southeastern Indiana, consists of Dennis Schubnell (mandolin and vocals), Dave Leonard (banjo, guitar, and vocals), Ronnie Deaton (guitar and vocals), and Jack Bustle (bass and vocals).
"One For The Road" is a 14-song collection of mainstream bluegrass that blends traditional tunes with a touch of originality. Of special note is the presence of guest musician Michael Cleveland (fiddle and blues guitar on "Silas Cain") who also performs double duty as the project's producer. Assisting with the engineering duties is Steve Cooley, a highly-respected musician throughout northern Kentucky and southern Indiana. The proceedings are off to a rousing start with "Tearing Pine Mountain Down," which concerns the ecological consequences of strip mining. Other familiar numbers include "Cold Sheets Of Rain," "California Cotton Fields," and Pete Wernick's "Just Like You" (about the tribulations of growing old). Two particular highlights are Dennis Schubnell's compositions, "One For The Road" and the eerily haunting story of "Silas Cain."
Common Ground has created a marvelous collection of bluegrass music certain to open many new doors for the remarkable bluegrass quartet.
LM (Les McIntyre)
