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Whisky Scented Kisses
Daphne Roubini and Black Gardenia
Label: Cellar Live
Released: 2026
Views: 43
Tracks
Minor Mood (3:07) Daphne Roubini (lyrics & melody), Chris Davis (music) A first co-write with Chris Davis, capturing longing, loneliness, and love’s quiet ache. Am I Crazy? (3:57) Daphne Roubini (lyrics & melody), Chris Davis (harmony) Born in a dream, this song captures love’s reckless abandon and irresistible pull. Whisky Scented Kisses (4:12) Daphne Roubini (lyrics & melody), Chris Davis (music) A long-held lyric brought to life, celebrating fleeting romance lived fully. How Do I Know? (4:09) Daphne Roubini (lyrics & melody), Paul Pigat (harmony) A meditation on love’s prelude and quiet uncertainty. Today (3:38) Daphne Roubini (lyrics & melody), Noah Walker (harmony) An ode to independence and self-love, celebrating choice, desire, and modern freedom. There’s Always Tomorrow (3:32) Mimi Marlowe Jaffe Written at 19 yrs by Mimi Marlowe Jaffe and rediscovered after her death at 91 yrs. You Leave Me Breathless (3:00) Ralph Freed, Friedrich Hollaender A tender classic reminding us that imperfections are often what make love irresistible. This Year’s Kisses (3:18) Irving Berlin A tribute to Billie Holiday and the musicians who shaped her world—and mine. Who Stole the Moon? (3:12) Daphne Roubini (lyrics), Stephen Nikleva (music) A moonlit tale of romance and parting at dawn, wrapped in vintage swing.
Personnel
Additional Personnel / Information
Paul Pigat | Guitar, Arranger, Composer Stephen Nikleva | Guitar, Composer Dave Say | Saxophone Brad Turner | Flugelhorn, Trumpet Jeremy Holmes | Bass
Album Description
Among Vancouver’s most distinctive jazz ensembles, Black Gardenia, led by vocalist and songwriter Daphne Roubini, return with Whisky Scented Kisses, set for release on April 3, 2026. The album marks the group’s debut on the Vancouver and New York–based label Cellar Live.
Inspired by the phrasing and harmonic sensibilities of 1940s and ’50s vocal jazz, Whisky Scented Kisses blends original compositions with carefully chosen standards, presenting a sound that feels classic while remaining distinctly its own. At its centre is Roubini’s distinctive voice - grounded in classic jazz phrasing, with a natural sense of space and time, and a quietly compelling presence - guiding a collection that explores love in its many forms: longing and desire, independence and risk, intimacy and impermanence.
Across nine tracks, Black Gardenia balances timeless storytelling with subtle, spacious arrangements, allowing each song’s narrative to unfold with elegance and restraint. The album features six original compositions alongside recordings honouring Billie Holiday and Nancy Wilson. Nestled amongst these is a rare gem: an unpublished song from 1950, There’s Always Tomorrow, written by a young Mimi Marlowe Jaffe. First heard more than 70 years later, after her death, it was transcribed from an unreleased recording and adds a hopeful gesture of renewal.
Recorded at Bryan Adams’ Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, the record showcases a sextet whose innate sense of swing carries the music throughout. Guitarist and arranger Paul Pigat’s elegant voicings and horn writing frame the ensemble’s sound, while the interplay between voice, horns, and melodic lines creates a rich harmonic resonance - evoking the spirit of mid-century jazz while remaining fresh and unmistakably its own.
The album is performed by Daphne Roubini (vocals), Paul Pigat (guitar, arrangements), Brad Turner (trumpet, flugelhorn), Stephen Nikleva (guitar), Jeremy Holmes (bass), and Dave Say (saxophone) - a group of celebrated Canadian musicians whose collective chemistry brings depth, nuance, and quiet authority to every track.
With Whisky Scented Kisses, Black Gardenia offer a record that honours the elegance of classic jazz, while being at once late-night in mood and quietly poignant.
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About Daphne Roubini and Black Gardenia
Instrument: Vocals
More Albums
Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson
