Pete Krebs & His Portland Playboys

Legendary Portland musical stalwart and two-time Oregon Music Hall of Fame inductee Pete Krebs started this rocking band in 2010, to play music inspired by the the great Hillbilly Jazz and Western Swing artists of the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s, such as Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, Spade Cooley, Jimmy Rivers and Ernest Tubb & His Texas Troubadours.

Playing as a Western swing outfit, the band’s repertoire naturally evolved over time, and they introduced more rockin’ vibe and an old-school rockabilly ethos.  When given the chance, they love to turn up and really let the Telecaster rip.

The band features Mr. Pete Krebs himself on guitar + vocals, plus a rotating cast of Portland best:  Ian Miller on lead guitars, Jeremy Wakefield or Rusty Blake on pedal steel, James Mason or Jennifer “Huck” Huckins on swing fiddle and 'King' Keith Brush on upright bass. The music is a mix of stompin' Western jazz and swing and blues-fueled rockabilly. The three primary soloists invoke the feeling of acrobats or flying aces as they spark and fly through the repertoires of Duke Ellington, Red Foley, Django Reinhardt and the Delmore Brothers. 

The Playboys work hard to maintain a timeless quality to the sound and feel of the band, and hope to do justice to the music and the musicians who've inspired and influenced them. The band released its debut CD, Early Sessions, in January 2012 on Pete’s new label Elko Records, recorded live. 

The Playboys maintain a busy live schedule of public and private events, anchored by their monthly residencies at the Secret Society Ballroom, Podnah’s Pit and The Moon & Sixpence in Portland. 

Photo credit: Kyle Grieser