Herman Fuslier Article (The Times) From the Oct. 29, 2004 edition of Bayou Boogie by Herman Fuselier
The music world knows Travis Matte as a four-time Fiddler of the Year as recognized by the Cajun French Music Association. So what in the world is Matte doing holding an accordion on the back of his new CD?
The title of the disc even contains the word "zydeco," a mortal sin among some Cajun music purists.
But for the 31-year-old Matte, Cajun music and zydeco is like a good chicken dinner. No matter how you cook it, if it tastes good, enjoy it.
"You can fry it, bake it, roast it or put it in a brown gravy, it's still chicken," said Matte. "These songs, so many people have different styles, but it's still the same song. It all roots back from Amédé Ardoin and that era.
"When he played it, there was no drummer. So how do you classify it? It's basically the band that classifies it.
"If you put an accordion player by himself, it's hard to tell what he's playing. A lot of them play the same songs."
Matte trades his fiddle for a zydeco accordion on his new CD, "dis ain'tcha momma's zodico," with his band, the Zydeco Kingpins. A CD release party, sponsored by Cat House Records, will be held at 9:30 p.m. today at Cowboy's.
The 14-song disc features a number of zydeco originals, such as "Barbeque and Drink a Few," "Yuh Baby Look So Damn Fine," "Zydeco Go Go" and "Zydehop."
The CD also contains a music video single of "Barbeque and Drink a Few." The video on CD may be a first for any Cajun or zydeco band.
Matte throws in a few covers of his rock favorites, "Rockin' Robin" and Canned Heat's "Going Up the Country."
French music fans need not despair. Matte does Cajun standards like "Lacassine Special," "Reno Waltz" and a waltz/two-step arrangement of the "Kaplan Waltz," which he calls "Kaplan Mix." Matte even breaks out the fiddle on Dennis McGee's "Dear Rosa."
"It's just a combination of everything that I like," said Matte. "I still have at least one fiddle song because that's what I played for so many years."
Guest musicians on the disc are Kyle Hebert (bass), Bryson Simoneaux (drums) and Bill Collins (scrub board).
"With the band, I put a bunch of guys together that I thought would work with my style," said Matte. "We never all played together, but I knew it would work. It would fit what I wanted to do."
Matte, a Church Point native, is a fifth generation fiddler who has been playing since the age of 18. After practicing as much as 13 hours a day, Matte won his first fiddle contest in the first three months with his instrument
Matte started playing the accordion in 2000. He said the learning curve took longer, but zydeco accordion matched his learning style.
"I played with a drum machine and I played with the double beat.
"I have trouble playing with just a straight beat. I'm just used to playing with that beat."
"One thing I did different that I did with the accordion, I sat down with two or three people and watched them play," added Matte. "But I never sat down with a tape and learned a song.
"With the fiddle, if I liked the way somebody played a song, I would dissect a song, note for note. That would have really sped me up on the accordion.
"I just wanted to hear the song and get the melody in my head. Figure out the way I think it goes. It took me more practice and a little bit longer to do it, but I don't think it songs like anybody else."
Matte hasn't abandoned the fiddle. He has done Cajun gigs with Jason Frey and plays country music with Blaine Roy and Second Wind.
He plans to remain open to all forms of music in the future.
"If they pay, I'll play. But I'm still learning. Nobody stops learning."
(Listen to Herman Fuselier's radio show at 10 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday on KRVS 88.7 FM. His TV show airs at 1:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on KDCG-TV 22.)