Jacksoul

by Charlotte Dillon
The group Jacksoul formed around the middle of the '90s in Toronto, Canada. Members are lead singer and founder Haydain Neale, guitarist Justin Abedin, bassist Dave Murray, keyboardist Brent Setterington, saxophonist Adam Leo, and drummer Roger Travassos. It is Neale, though, with his powerful vocal abilities, that is the driving force behind the group. The music Jacksoul offers fans is a mixture of funk, jazz, soul, and even rock, that makes it hard to label it in one style line of a genre.
In 1996 Jacksoul released its debut album, Absolute. Success came almost instantly, with encouraging reviews pouring in from music critics. A sophomore offering, Sleepless was completed for 2000 under the Vik./BMG label. It was produced by Jon "Rabbi" Levine and carries tracks like "Don't Tell Me," "Never Give Your Love Away," "Let Me Call You Baby," "I Remember," and "I Know What You Want." The lead single, "Can't Stop," from the second album found its way on to the music charts almost over night, helped out some by the exposure the music video for the tune gained the group on MuchMusic, Canada's version of MTV.