Drawing inspiration from the shadowy cabarets and smoky jazz halls of late‑1920s Weimar Berlin, Bitter-Sweet sees Bryan Ferry and His Orchestra reimagining his solo and Roxy Music catalogue with a sophisticated jazz sensibility. The album features elegant horn and woodwind arrangements, muted trumpet, clarinet flourishes, and a mood of urbane melancholy, transforming classics like "Alphaville," "Reason or Rhyme," and "While My Heart Is Still Beating."

Ferry himself provides select vocals on eight tracks, while the remaining songs unfold as instrumental reinterpretations, arranged with the expertise of Colin Good and performed by a full ensemble of seasoned jazz musicians. The album’s concept grew from Ferry’s work as music consultant on the acclaimed German TV series Babylon Berlin, where several tracks were originally featured, blending cinematic drama with jazz authenticity.