I’m something of a Cabaret obsessive. I’ve seen the Bob Fosse flick as many times as I’ve seen Casablanca, Citizen Kane, The Godfather, Notorious, or Sunset Boulevard. I’ve seen the play several times over the years and enjoyed it mightily. Hence this Friday Cocktail Hour selection.

The song Cabaret was written for the 1966 play Cabaret by John Kander and Fred Ebb. The song is the grand finale of both the play and movie based on it. It’s also a swell and swinging song in its own right.

We begin with Liza Minelli with her Oscar winning performance as Sally Bowles in the 1972 Fosse film:

Satchmo knew a great tune when he heard it:

Speaking of New Orleans trumpeters and vocalists, here’s the Wildest:

Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes cut a soulful version of Cabaret the year after the movie was released.

Uta Lemper is best known as a leading interpreter of Kurt Weill’s songs, but she also played Sally Bowles in a Paris production of Cabaret as well as Velma Kelly in revivals of Kander and Ebb’s other great musical, Chicago.

What would a Friday Cocktail Hour be without a jazz instrumental version of the week’s song? New Orleans musicians seem to love Cabaret. Joining Satchmo and the Wildest are the Treme Brass Band featuring the late, great Uncle Lionel Batiste:

That’s it for his week. I propose a toast in honor of the late Uncle Lionel, the epitome of NOLA nice. It’s what Dean, Bing, and Frank would want. Never argue with them.