U.S. Navy Band brings a country feel to Pig Out

When the U.S. Navy Band takes the stage Monday afternoon during Pig Out in the Park, you probably won’t hear “Stars and Stripes Forever,” or any other John Philip Sousa marches, for that matter.

Instead, Country Current will be playing country and bluegrass, songs by the likes of George Jones, Keith Urban or Dwight Yoakum, plus original compositions by Country Current members.

The group was formed in 1973 and is one of six performing units in the Navy, said Musician 1st Class Sarah Blecker, a public affairs officer. There’s also a concert band, vocal groups and jazz bands. The members were all professional musicians before joining the Navy band, and music is their only job for the military, Blecker said.

“We use all of those different ensembles to reach the broad diversity of the American public,” Blecker said. “Not everyone is a John Philip Sousa fan.”

For Country Current, and all the other Navy bands, their biggest job is to be the front runners for the Navy at large, Blecker said.

“We’re reaching out to communities that don’t get to see the Navy on a regular basis,” she said.

Part of that outreach is honoring veterans from all the service branches. So the group will play “Anchors Aweigh,” plus the songs for the Army, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.

“That’s really important to us,” Blecker said. “We wouldn’t be here and we wouldn’t be able to do what we do without the service of our veterans.”

Kimberly Lusk