"Los Jovenes Viejos" A Brilliant Film Score!

     His balkan roots made him say that he was "first of all miracles" as his father came from Croatia and his mother was Serbian. For many people,he was the last dandy of jazz in his country.For others,he was Cole Porter of Argentina.Sergio Mihanovic(1937-2012) was a low profile hard working musician in many fields.He wrote music for films and theatrical acts,worked in nightclubs as a pianist and vocalist and during his career has composed four figure themes and songs although as it is said he could not "write" music.A well respected man in jazz(and pop) scene,Sergio Mihanovich saw his name witten in the Real Book Of Jazz Standards as his most famous work "Sometime Ago" crossed the borders of Buenos Aires and sent him to eternity through Bill Evans,Joe Pass,Stan Getz and much more countless various instrumental and vocal versions till today.You can read a summary of his life written by Gaspar Zimmerman for the Clarin newspaper here.                                                                

Sergio Mihanovic made the music for the Rodolfo Kuhn's movie "Los Jonenes Viejos"(The Old Young People), a landmark of the argentinian film history(VIK LZ  

1076) that was the country's official selection for the 1962 Oscar awards in the foreign language film category.I remember buying this lp a couple of years ago through an auction.Soon,became one of my favourite ones,cool jazz at its best moments.Sixteen tracks  for a great score played by great musicians: Brothers Jorge and Oscar Lopez Ruiz play contrabass and guitar(Oscar also took care for the arrangements),Osvaldo Mazzei is behind the drums,Ruben Lopez Furst plays the piano,Osvaldo Bissio on vibraphone,Domingo Cura on tumbadora,Jorge Barone on flute,Louis M.Casalla on trombone,Leandro Barbieri on saxophone and Ruben Barbieri(yes, the Gato one) on trumpet.The whole record will please not only the avid soundtrack collectors but the jazz lovers as well.A vinyl copy on VIK(sublabel of RCA Victor Argentina) rarely shows up on sale lists or in auctions but it worths every penny if you find one in nice condition.It was only 2008 when Sony BMG Argentina released the score on cd together with another brilliant album of Sergio Mihanovic("Buenos Aires Jazz by Sergio Mihanovic",originally also on VIK).Los Jovenes Viejos is the only known score released by Sergio Mihanovic and i think it deserves to (re)discoverd.If anyone knows another film score by this wonderful musician,please drop a line...