I play his songs and I develop my own style through my own technique to his music which gives me identification. That s the sign of identification, in other words, I m my own man even though I m playing my father s music. Guitar and fiddle players, they give you the rhythm but they have to have a rhythm to follow. You carry a good rhythm on the accordion, it makes it so much easier for the guitar and fiddle player. You just have to join in.
Accordion is supposed to set the rhythm and the timing.
And the instruments are supposed to fall behind the accordion. It s just like whenever you re doing drums, that s was one of the biggest things I found with drummers, that it was always hard to get a good drummer because when the drummer sets the timing, he could speed you up or slow you down. I struck out and went with a three piece. Because the only thing that the drums were doing for me that it allowed me to play in the nightclubs and dancehalls and there were places around here telling you what you had to have in the band to play for them. And a lot of times, I was called after I quit using a drummer to go and play a dancehall, and I would say sure, and we would make the arrangements.