Black Gardenia

Black Gardenia takes listeners on a journey to an age where cool meant classy and noir was the norm. With Daphne Roubini at its helm, Black Gardenia evokes smoky elegance and cinematic swing — a Vancouver jazz mainstay now on the rise.

Their forthcoming 2026 release, Whiskey Scented Kisses (Cellar Live), marks Black Gardenia’s finest work yet. Leaving the ukulele far behind, Roubini embraces a more expansive palette: lush horn arrangements crafted by Paul Pigat, six original songs co-written with band members, a never-before-published gem, and two exquisitely reimagined hip standards.

Inspired by the classic jazz recordings of the 1940s and 1950s, Black Gardenia creates music that feels timeless — at once vintage in spirit and alive with modern nuance.

“We wanted to capture the tunes we have been performing since our last album ‘Lucky Star’ 2017 (#2 in Canadian national !Earshot charts) and stretch out by including more original tunes in this album. We love
re-interpreting jazz classics, keeping those tunes alive, in “Whisky Scented Kisses” we have a bold hope to add our own classics to the jazz repertoire to come!” Daphne Roubini

Each member of the band is a celebrated award winning artist in their own right, bringing a wealth of experience from Canada’s top stages and beyond—
Paul Pigat - guitar
Stephen Nikleva - guitar
Jeremy Holmes - bass
Brad Turner - flugelhorn and trumpet
Dave Say - saxophone

The result is a sound steeped in smoky atmospheres and aching romance — timelessly elegant, cinematically evocative, and unmistakably Black Gardenia.