U.S. Army Brass Quintet celebrates America’s 250th birthday on CBS Mornings

The U.S. Army Brass Quintet is using a CBS Mornings appearance to place the Army’s ceremonial musicians at the center of America’s 250th-birthday celebrations. Master Sgt. Kevin Gebo talked about the band’s favorite songs to play and what the group was looking forward to most over the weekend, bringing a military ensemble into a national morning-TV spotlight built around patriotic pageantry.

The quintet has carried that public role for more than five decades. The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” says the group was founded in 1972 and has performed for audiences and dignitaries in 48 states and 14 foreign countries. That record has made the brass quintet one of the Army’s most visible musical ambassadors, moving easily from formal ceremony to public celebration as the country marks the approach to its semiquincentennial.

Gebo’s path helps explain the group’s blend of military discipline and conservatory training. The Army band identifies him as a master sergeant trumpeter who joined the band in 2007. He grew up in Tallahassee, Florida, earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, a master’s degree from UCLA, and a doctorate or performance certificate from The Catholic University of America. The quintet’s roster also includes SSG Andrew Boylan on trumpet, SGM Rick Lee on horn, SFC Gregory Hammond on trombone, and MSG Jon Voth on tuba.

That lineup will move from television to live performance as America 250 celebrations continue through the July 4 weekend. The quintet is scheduled to appear with the Charlottesville Band at an America’s 250th Birthday Celebration at Ting Pavilion in Charlottesville on Saturday, July 11, at 3:30 p.m. The stop underscores how military musicians are being woven into the nation’s 250th anniversary calendar, serving as a polished public face for the Army in front of civilian audiences at home.