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Arts & Entertainment

A Cowboy Steps out of the Past

The Old West lives again.

The bar is smoky and the lights are dim; pints of beer are being passed, the room is loud, and the music is live. Sounds like elements from an old Western movie, and they might as well be, as far as one local cowboy is concerned.

Agoura resident Dave Bourne reminisces about live music, the saloon piano in particular–of which he is a virtuoso–in a bygone era.

Pianist par excellence

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“Times are so different now,” said Bourne, a professional musician and saloon pianist since the 1950s. “There are not that many places to play this type of music these days.”

Raised in Anaheim, way before Disneyland, Bourne moved to Agoura in the 1970s. “The air quality was superior and the school district was highly rated,” he said. “It was all good for raising a family.”

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Before the heavy regulation on smoking and drinking, Bourne played in saloons, bars and private clubs. These days, he brings a touch of 19th century music to non-local events, including private parties, festivals and equestrian events.

On TV, he has appeared on the HBO series Deadwood. He has also produced six CDs called Saloon Piano featuring authentic melodies of the Old West.

Where poets and cowboys gather

No matter where he entertains, Bourne doesn’t like to venture far from his cowboy heritage. Every year, he takes part in the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada.

Acclaimed as the greatest celebration of the American West, the annual ritual attracts poets, folklorists, musicians and cowboys from all over. Performances are scheduled all throughout the five-day event, held from January 30 to February 4, 2012.

Bourne has gone almost every time since the beginning. “It’s one of the best gatherings out there with plays during the day and concerts in the evenings,” he said. “It all takes place in a real saloon.”

During the year, there are smaller events almost every weekend somewhere. “I try to go as much as I can, which is about seven a year,” he said.

All in the family

Music runs in the family. His dad was a trumpet player with an all-old music repertoire. “He had a giant collection of sheet music,” said Bourne.

His dad’s influence and dedication spurred him to pursue music education at USC. Bourne, in turn, has passed on some of that passion to his children.

His daughter is a local piano teacher while his son plays reggae music in the South Bay. His wife sings. “We used to be part a cowboy band in the 1980s till about 2005,” he said, describing their musical collaboration as a married couple.

In the meantime, our local cowboy waxes poetic. He harbors no regrets of eras long gone, just good memories of the Old West as he heads off into the sunset...or to his next gig.

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