This is cajun music where I most love to hear it, with my buddy Cory McCauley playing the baby I made for him (even finding a few notes I didn't know I put in there), at a Dimanche Gras gathering this year. Good friends and beer, in an old house with great acoustics, Cory plays, hands down, my favorite version of Les Flammes D'en Fer. That song, like La Porte D'en Arriere, is way over done by too many, and most play it the same way. Not sure Cory's influences on this, but he definitely does his own thing. Even had a drummer this year, which normally wouldn't be allowed, but this guy did a good job of keeping rhythm without being overbearing. Best of all, no steel guitar.
You're absolutely right Bryan also about the drummer.
And I don't miss the steelguitar at all, even I love the sound of it, I it's not that suitable for cajun music, but that's my personal opinion.
I have the same with bass and drums but I saw Ray Abshire at Breaux Bridge with Jimmy Breaux on drums and one of his sons on bass and that was wunderfull which was also caused by the twin fiddle sound with Courtney Granger/Kevin Wimmer and the other occasion with Kevin and Brandon Moreau.