Soundtrack albums are constantly coming out and most are often just a souvenir of the movie or show they represent. One of the best soundtracks, not only of 2008 but of any year, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button was released by Concord Music Group towards the end of 2008. Having worked with Finland’s greatest music composer, the late, great Pekka Pohjola, I can tell you that the Benjamin Button CD is filled with gorgeous emotive orchestral melodies and is sometimes, very much in the spirit of Pohjola’s deep and dark, Euro-tinged symphonic style. Of course, the movie The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button is garnering rave reviews and will probably be nominated for numerous film awards and accolades. Interestingly, Concord has released the CD soundtrack for The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button as a double CD set—with disc one featuring the score composed, conducted and produced by Alexandre Desplat along with a second CD devoted to brief audio clips from the movie as well as a generous helping of jazz, big band and ‘50s classics by late great icons like Bix Beiderbecke, Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, The Platters and more. Concord’s CD booklet for The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button is excellent as well, filled with color stills from the movie, complete credits for both Desplat’s orchestral soundtrack and the second CD of oldies. Even if you're not a fan of soundtracks, but love gorgeous melodic and inventive classical music you will admire Desplat’s score. Commenting on the movie soundtrack, Desplat adds, ‘The movie has everything that a film can offer to a composer. A humanistic script by Eric Roth of a man’s epic journey living his life biologically in reverse through a century, a heartbreaking love story played with intensity by two of the most gifted actors of our times, the pulse of jazz in the city where he was born, a twist of witty humor, the metaphysical question of death, and the pure visual magic created by a genius director.' Hats off to the Parisian born Desplat. See you at the Grammys and the Oscars! www.ConcordRecords.com

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