Country Current plays bluegrass at Nats Park

Last week the Washington Nationals invited US Navy Band Country Current to the ball park to take part in a Navy celebration day. Guitarist and vocalist Kenny Ray Horton sang the national anthem at the start of the game, and the band played a bluegrass version of God Bless America during the 7th inning stretch.

Country Current is the only dedicated bluegrass outfit in the US military music program, a band that was formed around banjo picker Bill Emerson when he joined the Navy in 1973. Though they also are part of a larger country music group, the band performs bluegrass regularly around the DC area at ceremonial functions and for good will and recruiting appearances at schools and other community gathering places.

The crowd came alive for the bluegrass in the park, as you can see in the video below. Keith Arneson is on banjo, Danny Stewart is on bass, Pat White is on mandolin, and Horton and Joe Friedman are on guitar.

Stay tuned for more news about Country Current in the next few weeks. They have brought in two new members of the band, who will be announced when they complete basic training in about six weeks.

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About the Author

John Lawless

John had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2006 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents.