Vocalist Daphne Roubini leads the Vancouver-based group Black Gardenia on Whisky Scented Kisses. The style and sound hark back to the 1940s and ’50s. Although not trying to revive that specific era, this homage does justice to the time period’s musical memory. With a solid team made up of Paul Pigat (guitar, arrangements), Brad Turner (trumpet, flugelhorn), Stephen Nikleva (guitar), Jeremy Holmes (bass) and Dave Say (saxophone), Roubini is well supported. The songs feel full yet never overpowering as the tracks flicker by.
Sometimes an artist can waver in their aesthetic attitude. Roubini and Black Gardenia do not. From the start, one understands where they’re coming from: a smoke-filled bar where all walks of life gather. The title track, especially,…