Serious Cabaret is an album by singer Mary Carewe and pianist Philip Mayers who is also responsible for the arrangements.  It’s an eclectic mix of cabaret material from the 1920s to the 1970s.  There’s classic material from the Weimar Republic, including songs by Hollaender (“Oh just suppose”) and Spoliansky (“Maskulinum/Femininum”, “It’s All a Swindle”) and one I hadn’t heard before; Zemlinsky’s “Herr Bombardil” about a man who eats until he explodes.

There are some of Bolcom’s Cabaret Songs including “Toothbrush Time”.  Samuel Barber gets a look in with “Promiscuity”.  Noel Coward’s “Mad Dogs and Englishmen” features, as does John Barry’s “Diamonds are Forever”.  And that’s just a sampling of the generous 25 tracks.  It’s fun.

It’s all stylishly sung and played and well recorded and it’s all in English so you really don’t need the texts.  It’s currently available as a physical CD or on streaming services.  I couldn’t find digital downloads anywhere.  I listened on CD quality digital files.

Catalogue information: Orchid Classics ORC 100021