Along with Jason Frey in Lagniappe, Travis Matte was an integral part of the outstanding À la Vieille Manière album that notched several CFMA Awards in 2001. That was Matte’s last totally trad Cajun recording until now, as he formed the envelope-pushing Zydeco Kingpins (later shortened to Kingpins) in 2004 and subsequently released a string of eight albums. But even with the acclaim and fatter paychecks, Matte never stopped cherishing traditional Cajun music, which he returns to in fine form on Old Time Cajun Songs’ 10 tracks, all recorded at his home studio. Through the use of old tube preamps, the proceedings often have an ambience of what Cajun music sounded like before the advent of CDs.

But what’s even more amazing is how Matte is such a competent accordionist on the traditional material that’s more complicated and intricate than the normal Kingpin fare. On several tracks, Matte plays both accordion and fiddle; on two tracks, he plays all instruments, including a fairly respectable steel guitar on “Crowley 2 Step.” As a fiddler, he either layers lush twin fiddles (“Perrodin 2 Step”) or goes for the single fiddle variety, such as on “Crowley 2 Step,” where he emulates the ride Tony Thibodeaux took when he played with Aldus Roger. Though you’d never guess it due to the omission of the songwriter credits, “Heaven Sent” is actually a swamp-pop original co-written with the legendary Johnnie Alan. Still, the playing is consistently exuberant, leaving no doubt what dancehall Cajun music sounds like when it’s dialed in right.