Dennis Cahill was born to Irish parents in the southside of Chicago in 1954. At age ten he became interested in folk music such as Peter Paul and Mary, Simon and Garfunkel, and got his first guitar at that time. In his late teens he began playing in the local clubs in the folk scene which at that time included such well-known singers as Steve Goodman and John Prine. Dennis then studied classical guitar at Chicago Music College.

In the years after music school he began jobbing in all kinds of bands playing a lot of country, top 40, rock n’ roll and funk. Chicago is well-known as a leading city in the production of commercial music for jingles, with his varied background in music this became an area where his combined talents are now regularly in demand. This varied musical background brought him in contact with musicians of all kinds, including a number of years as a sideman in a comedy duo with a comedian from West Clare named George Casey.

Dennis performed in the Irish scene in Chicago with people like Jimmy Keane, Larry Nugent, Liz Carroll , Brendan Mckinney, Pat Broaders, Jimmey Moore Seamus O’Kane and Kathleen Keane. Between 1989 and 1991 he was a member of an electric rock and Irish-influenced jazz/rock/fusion band called Midnight Court where he worked with Martin Hayes, Erwin Yasukawa, Dave Simone. That band split up in 1991.

Martin moved to Seattle soon after that and Dennis jobbed around Chicago and also played with a band called Kean Wilding.

The duet of Martin and Dennis started in 1995 and are still touring and recording together. “I couldn’t play this sort of music if Dennis wasn’t playing with me,” Hayes told one interviewer. “We’re like two hands on a piano.” Cahill’s innovative accompaniment is widely regarded as being a breakthrough for guitar in the Irish tradition.