“Authentic” Gothic Balkan Cartoon Jazz. / “Dark Klezmer Storytime”

Zla Vila (“Bad Fairy”) plays music that would feel at home in the vampire-infested Hoia-Baciu forests of Transylvania. Lyrics about werewolves and undersea creatures mix with traditional Balkan and Carpathian fiddle music. Heart-rending violin, carnivalesque accordion, brilliant trombone, and the superstar musicianship of Leo on the bass.

The musicians of Zla Vila were drawn together by a mutual love of nerding out over Eastern European folk tunes with odd meters and ornaments.  They learned tunes in Serbia, Romania, from friends, old recordings, and at band camp--then they started making up new ones.

Started by multi-instrumentalist superstar Fiddlin’ Mickey (of Sour Mash Hug Band) and his accordionist wife, Nicolette. Mickey does the composing, violin, guitar, and main vocals. The sound is strengthened and supported by self-taught shredder Nicolette on accordion and backup vocals, the melodic trombone playing of Greg Stephens, and Leo holding it down on the upright bass.