Tracy being my favorite box player, I wonder if his excellent syncopation and rhythm on the accordion is due to his years playing the fiddle? I read somewhere that accordion players should approach their playing like a fiddler plays rhythm.I've tried playing using a tip I received to think "dile-crock-a" when playing. Any other ideas about Tracy's accordion playing style?

I saw some interviews with him years ago. He was talking in general about the syncopation in Cajun music, and he used his fiddle to show examples of what he was talking about.

He mentioned that whole "deal-crock-a deal" concept in the interview and then demonstrated it on the fiddle.

So, in other words, I think you have hit the nail on the head!

'Deal-crock-a-deal' - what the heck does that mean?

It's a way of describing a particular rhythmic pattern, for example bowing on the fiddle. It is often used in Cajun music and other traditional music styles. You also play the Cajun accordion that way, but some of the nuances you can get with the fiddle are somewhat lost on the accordion.

There might be some video on Youtube illustrating it. It's a little hard to describe in words,