Zydeco is an accordion-dominated genre, so it’s rare when a non-accordionist releases an album. Earl Sally is a 30-year veteran who’s scraped his syncopated, metallic rhythms with Clifton Chenier, Terrance Simien, Jude Taylor, Geno Delafose and Chubby Carrier. He’s shared the staged with Los Lobos, Los Lonely Boys, Dr. John, Taj Mahal and Paul Simon, and what separates Sally from his spoon-scraping peers is in his approach to his craft. Whereas most rubboard players prefer to stay in the pocket, Sally frequently bolts out for a barrage of lightning-quick beats, then slips back in step with rest of the band. By altering the instrument’s placement against his body, Sally can affect its tonality from fat to ringing tones which can lead to halftones, an intriguing sound considering it’s from an instrument designed for rhythm.

Sally gets a little help from his friends Delafose, Simien, Curley Taylor, and Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, who back their rhythm fiend for the bulk of these beefy proceedings. While Sally holds his own as a vocalist, he lets his guests croon a number or two. On Chenier’s “I’m Coming Home,” Simien delivers a magnificent, impassioned performance that could possibly be the best rendition yet. Bassist Corey Duplechin contributes the only non-zydeco tune, “Red Bean,” which is unbelievably funky and deliriously infectious.

Still, the focus stays on Sally. He does interesting things like the frequent beat assaults and the unison playing with Carrier’s accordion on a phrase of “Eunice Two Step.” Perhaps the coolest moment is Sally’s solo on “Zydeco San Pas Salé.” Studio engineer Ivan Klisanin alters it via a flanger to make it sound like a series of surreal scales constantly changing their pitch. Studio gimmick, yeah, sure, but it certainly beats the pitch corrector that country star Faith Hill uses every night to stay in tune.