For four years, Fairbanks has had a Ragtime Music Club. Amateur and professional musicians have been meeting every other Sunday at the Malemute Saloon in Ester. It is free and open to everyone to listen.
Paul Krejci is a doctor of musical anthropology and ethnohistory. But he’s known around Fairbanks as a really good piano player. He keeps starting projects that bring people in and give them a better understanding of music. He says the Ragtime club was an idea with Fairbanks musician Kit Cleworth.
“And we started this during the pandemic. Things are starting to improve in 2021, a bit, but we were talking about presenting Ragtime music, and what better place to do that than the venue of Malemute Saloon," Krejci said.
The Malemute, in Ester, about 10 miles from downtown Fairbanks, is known for its atmosphere. Krejci says the saloon’s owner, Scott Swingle, had just acquired a vintage 1912 piano.
“Kit, of course, as a piano tuner and repairman, he fixed it up," Krejci said.
Krejci and Cleworth presented Ragtime music events that summer, sharing the syncopated music with African-American roots.
“And it was successful from the get go.”
So, they decided to do it every summer since then. It’s picked up a local following, and is also been discovered by tourists who find there way out to Ester.
“Ragtime has these syncopated rhythms and make you just want to wiggle and jiggle about, make you want to just get up and dance," Krejci said.
Krejci is also a music historian and educator. At a recent event, he stood near the piano and talked about how Ragtime spread around the world, and is the basis for a lot of modern American music.
“Ragtime really is the spark that has initiated a lot of these later styles of music. Jazz, blues, rock and roll, hip hop, rap music, everything that we hear today, everything that has a syncopation to it; emphasis on a weak beat. So, one, TWO, three FOUR. One, TWO, three, FOUR.”
Krejci notes that immigrants brought the music to Alaska with them, and Ragtime coincides with the founding of Fairbanks. A piece from that era was found recently.
“Maddie Crosby, who was born in 1884, died in 1972. She passed away actually here in Fairbanks, but spent most of her time in Iditarod and Flat. And she composed this music," Krejci said, playing the piece.
In case you are interested, there are also words to the song, which is called, “Oh, You beautiful Pink.” You night hear it sung if you go to the Malemute Saloon on a Sunday afternoon.
