A lot has happened since John Trahan’s debut disc 17 years ago, including a career move to Dallas and a recent relocation back to native Vermillion Parish. But one thing’s for sure: he never lost his accordion chops or beautiful tenor voice. That’s certainly in evidence here on such standards as “Madame Bozo” and “Convict Waltz,” where his accordion playing is as beefy as ever. He more than gets by with a little help from his friends, an A-list set of players that includes BeauSoleil’s Michael Doucet, Mitch Reed and Jimmy Breaux.

But since the album took three years to complete, the focus slowly shifted from being a tribute to his accordion heroes (Shirley Bergeron, Iry LeJeune, Lawrence Walker) to unveiling material from area songwriters, such as Johnnie Allan (“La Valse de Marier”) and Ivy Dugas (“The Queen of the Broken Heart.”). While most selections are in French, Trahan includes some English-sung Cajun Americana that, as Doucet points out in the liner notes, “reflects the view of an exiled Cajun.” The Eddy Raven-Jimmy C. Newman-penned “My My Louisiana” couldn’t be more perfect—a song extolling various locales of the Pelican State that was almost prophetic of Trahan’s return. More importantly, Trahan accomplishes the unusual here, a rare blend of tradition and contemporary material that works as an artistic signature.