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A victory of a soundtrack
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This review first appeared in the North County Blade-Citizen (now North County Times).
This is a combination soundtrack/compilation from pop jazz/New Age keyboardist Steve Haun. Several of the songs were written especially for the soundtrack for television coverage of the Bolder Boulder race in 1992. Other songs also included in this soundtrack are drawm from Haun's three previous albums.
Haun's likable brand of music combines the sweeping themes of a movie soundtrack with accessible, upbeat melodies and the mellow instrumental passages of the best pop jazz.
In fact, much of the credit for the warm atmosphere of this album has to go to saxophonist/flutist Nelson Rangell, whose fat, mellow tone is reminiscent of David Sanborn.
But much of the credit must also go to Haun, who composed all 12 songs and also wrote the arrangements. His songwriting cleanly avoides the repetition and pedantry of so much pop jazz, showing both a flair for the dramatic and an ear for a fine melody.
If this album doesn't have the impact of "Chariots of Fire" for making you want to get out and hit the pavement, it nevertheless is a very good effort and is a nice, relaxing complement to wine coolers while you relax in the jacuzzi after running.