Brian O’Donnell, fiddle
Brian caught the Cajun fiddle bug at the Ashoken camp in New York, became enamored with Dewey Balfa and Dennis McGee, and promptly headed down to Lafayette, LA for six weeks of Cajun jams and bayou exploration. He managed to get a Lafayette library card, listened to every Cajun record they had, and got some lessons from Courtney Granger and Kevin Wimmer. Brian is a much sought after fiddler in Cajun music circles and he also plays bluegrass and old time music. He also plays fiddle and some guitar with The Barley Brothers.
Tom "Big Nick" Nickel, guitar, accordion, fiddle
Performing music has been a life-long endeavor for "Nick". His first memory of a live performance was by way of his mother, playing an old Gibson guitar, which she had purchased during the great depression. ("Nick's" father was less fond of 6-strings and played 4-string Tenor guitar.) Nick has created and performed in numerous bands over his career, the latest having been the now defunct "Big Nick & the Cydecos". He has authored several Cajun Accordion DVD lessons and enjoys traveling to SW Louisiana. Nick is the newest member of the Cajun Strangers having joined the team in late 2010 and will be playing guitar, fiddle and Cajun accordion.
Jim Schwall, bass
Although he writes songs and plays several kinds of music on several instruments, Cajun Strangers' bass player Jim Schwall is best known for playing blues guitar in the Siegel-Schwall Band. After hearing Cajun bands in pre-Katrina New Orleans, Jim rented a car and headed out for Breaux Bridge and Eunice where he spent his evenings on the dance floors of Cajun supper clubs. Jim first got to know the Cajun Strangers from the dance floor at some of their local dances.
Scott Kiker, lap steel
A native born Cajun, Scott was immersed in the music, language, food and culture of Acadiana from day one. He was born into the Cajun enclave in Southeast Texas around Beaumont. In high school his family moved to Acadia Parish and he spent the next ten years living in Southwestern Louisiana. Scott's great uncle, Minos Broussard, was one of the original guitar players for the Hackberry Ramblers and gave Scott his first lesson on the six-string at the age of five. Scott has been playing guitar ever since and specializes in rural Southern picking styles. Years of finger-style and slide guitar playing made lap steel a natural cross-over. Scott was asked to join the Cajun Strangers after he showed up at one of the shows and sang the song his father always requested for his mother, "'Tit Yeaux Noir", by Lawrence Walker.
Chris Courville, drums
Chris is originally from Lafayette, Louisiana, and grew up surrounded by Cajun music and culture. With a background as a percussionist and drum set player that started at an early age, he honed his skills playing numerous styles of music while living in New Orleans and back in the Lafayette area. Chris has filled the drum set role for many Louisiana-based Cajun bands since the late 1990s and is now happy to bring that experience to the Cajun Strangers.
Colin Bazsali, guitar, harmonica
Colin has been playing music most of his life. Originally a jazz drummer, he set aside percussion for the folk guitar, harmonica, and banjo and began exploring traditional American musical forms, especially old-time banjo. This led circuitously to Cajun and back to the drums, which he played with the Cajun Strangers since early 2005 until 2011, when he switched to guitar. He also plays drums with the The Dirty Shirts and banjo, mandolin, and guitar with The Barley Brothers (along with Brian).