Black Gardenia is a different kind of vintage jazz band, presenting re-invented classics and vintage inspired originals, led by the mesmerizing vocals of Daphne Roubini, they explore the mysterious place where jazz, old country, blues and folk meet. Transporting you to a place where cool was always classy and noir the norm.

band: Daphne Roubini, Chris Davis, Andrew Smith, Paul Pigat, Brent Gubbels, with special guest Cameron Wilson.

After the last 2 sold out shows launching Black Gardenia's new album 'Lucky Star', now #2 in the Canadian national !Earshot charts and #20 in US national NACC, Black Gardenia continues celebrating the release of their second album in collaboration with The Anza Club. They will be featuring the tunes recorded on 'Lucky Star' and 'No Moon at All' and adding some of their new favourites for each of these special 'home tour' shows! (March 18th, April 15th, and May13th).

praise for Black Gardenia~
“Daphne Roubini's original tunes bring to mind Django Reinhardt’s Gypsy Jazz with Billie Holiday as vocalist.” Vancouver Sun

“This Jazz/country/folk/blues band filter everything they do through their own special musical time capsule.”North Shore News

“The musical equivalent of taking a bath in a barrel of finely aged bourbon.” Robert Collins, CTV BC

“Black Gardenia features the evocative vocalist Daphne Roubini, who sounds at once retro – think Billie Holiday and Madeleine Peyroux – and yet cheekily modern and on trend.”
Georgia Mancio, ReVoice! Festival, London, UK.

Read more about Black Gardenia's new record!
New Album from Vancouver’s Black Gardenia:
Lucky Star
CD Release Fall/Winter 2017

“For this record we wanted to honour the music we love,” explains bandleader and vocalist Daphne Roubini. “We were excited to mix a bit of Django Reinhardt and Hot Club de France, T-Bone Walker, jazz swing, and our country and folk favourites. These songs came together during our weekly residency in English Bay. Our band would change slightly every week and I became fascinated by how a different bass player or guitarist, or whether we had a trumpet or violin as the feature instrument, would influence the interpretation of the song. Every person playing with us would change the entire sound of our set list. It reminded me of how different the sea looks everyday. It’s the same view yet so different. We love exploring these transient moments and wanted to capture that on this record!”

Black Gardenia’s musical pedigree speaks for itself. In her roles as leader of the band, half of acclaimed ukulele duo Ruby & Smith, and founder of Ruby’s Ukes, the world’s largest ukulele school outside Hawaii, Daphne has been profiled on CBC radio, on Shaw TV and The Province, Vancouver Sun, Georgia Straight, Ukulele Magazine, and the Vancouver Courier. On Lucky Star her captivating vocals have been paired with the talents of her musical (and life) partner, guitarist Andrew Smith, along with stellar musicians including Chris Davis (Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings), Paul Pigat (Cousin Harley), Stephen Nikleva and Jimmy Roy (Ray Condo and the Ricochets and Petunia and the Vipers), Cameron Wilson and Brent Gubbels (VanDjango), and Patrick Metzger (Headwater, Viper Central).

“When Chris Davis agreed to co-produce Lucky Star with me we sat down and picked the songs that really stood out to us, then specifically chose the musicians we wanted to would play on each song,” continues Daphne. “It was an amazing experience to pick the sound and version we wanted first, and then orchestrate those musicians for the sessions. We found we heard things in the same way, which was quite magical.
“For me, Lucky Star is the perfect musical cocktail. I’ll have mine vintage with a twist!”

Track Listing
1. What a Little Moonlight Can Do (Harry M.Woods)
2. I’m Confessin’ that I Love You (Al Neiburg/Doc Daugherty/Ellis Reynolds)
3. Green Dolphin Street (B. Kaper)
4. I Told You So (C.Wagner)
5. You’re a Sweetheart (Jimmy McHugh/Harold Adamson)
6. Lucky Star (D.Roubini/A.Smith/P.Pigat)
7. That’s my Desire (Helmy Kresa/Harold Loveday)
8. You’d be so Nice to Come Home To (Cole Porter)
9. I’m Just Waitin’ for Your Call (T-Bone Walker)
10. Green Rocky Road (Trad/B.Kaufman)
11. The Nearness of You (Hoagy Carmichael/Ned Washington)
12. Melancholy Moon (D.Roubini/A.Smith)
13. Bye Bye Blues (Fred Hamm/Dave Bennett/Bert Lown/Chauncey Gray)
www.blackgardenia.ca