Jacksoul
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“Singing from the heart and telling real people's stories isn't just an R&B
thing,” comments jacksoul’s lead singer Haydain Neale. “It would be wrong to say
R&B artists alone have a monopoly on writing with soul.”
jacksoul’s homage to ‘emotive lyrics’ and ‘soul stirring music’ is exemplified
on the new release, mySOUL, a collection of 13 timeless tracks (plus one
original) that span the last fifty years of music. Underscoring the music on
mySOUL, is a consistent theme of timeless, soulful artistry. Adding their own
spirit and musical interpretation to hits by artists such as Jane’s Addiction,
Radiohead, Curtis Mayfield and Sam Cooke, jacksoul have created universally
unforgettable music and succeeded in demonstrating that soul transcends the
typical notion of genre.
Exploring the depths of emotion and examining the roots of soul is daily
practice for the members of jacksoul. Creating music that’s intensely inspiring
and totally heartbreaking, bores to the core of ‘down, dirty, Soul Music,’ and
is the building block that has helped shape music today. It's probably no
surprise that jacksoul had its beginnings in classic soul material like “Knock
on Wood" and “Love TKO," but when they sat down to hammer out which songs to
include on the album, they were confronted with inspiration from many unlikely
musical sources. “Some people are gonna say I'm crazy when they read the song
list for this CD,” explains Neale. “But once you hear the tracks the way I hear
them... you'll know what soul is all about."
After performing a rendition of The Guess Who’s “These Eyes” to roaring
response, (at The Guess Who’s induction into The Canadian Songwriter’s Hall of
Fame in 2004,) jacksoul considered putting together a collection of songs that
struck a personal chord and lasting memory and inspired them as songwriters.
There was never any intention to try and improve on these great tunes, which
Neale mentions is “quite frankly, impossible,” but explore how every song
impacts every listener, a little differently. With the members of jacksoul, not
only does that lyric or melody trigger a unique picture in their minds, it also
sparks different musical possibilities.
Explains Neale:
“Imagine if Sam Cooke was recording today. There's no way that he could ever
"improve" on the original "A Change Is Gonna Come" just because he gets Dr. Dre
to drop a beat on it. But just living now, being surrounded by modern music and
today's issues... it might make him reach for another sad chord here, or a
weeping guitar line there.”
“Or if you listen to "Been Caught Stealing," I hear a funk jam. I thought that
back in 1990 and still hear it like that today. Or "Try" - when the melody is so
perfect, and the hurt is so real, who needs a bunch of instruments getting in
the way. Maybe you just wanna here a simple sad song for awhile, y'know? With
mySOUL, I was trying to say more about how these songs make me feel inside and
that defined my interpretation.”
jacksoul has always been about great performances – real, sweaty, human
performances. They have been heralded for their live shows and brought that same
energy and excitement into the recording studio. With his co-conspirators:
Justin Abedin on guitars, Ron Lopata on keys, Davide Direnzo on percussion and
JK playing bass, they took classic soul music and “put their stank on it.” Brad
Haehnel, (engineer for Esthero, K’Naan, Nelly Furtado), who co-produced mySOUL
with Neale, brought in the horns and kept the band grounded with their musical
choices. Though Neale arranges all the vocals, the band shares in the musical
arrangement duties, and with their tight groove, were able to invoke the phat
beats of Motown.
Over the course of their career, jacksoul has earned a well-deserved reputation
as gifted songwriters. They received the SOCAN Award for “R&B Song of the Year,”
a Canadian Urban Music Award for “Songwriter of the Year,” a JUNO Award for
“Best R&B/Soul Recording”; and have achieved numerous #1 and high chart
positions for their singles and videos, across multiple radio formats,
MuchMoreMusic and Musimax. “Can’t Stop,” from Sleepless, was the #1 Most Spun
Canadian track for four weeks in 2000 and “Still Believe in Love,” from
Resurrected, was the #1 Most Spun Canadian track and the #1 track on all formats
simultaneously in 2004. jacksoul have been internationally heralded as
incredible musicians who deliver soul rousing, powerfully intoxicating music.
While pouring over the endless material for inclusion on the CD, the ideal that
music bridges the gap between generations and cultures, led to the inclusion of
one original track on the album entitled “oneSONG.” With lyrics like “last night
I dreamt of a choir full of soprano, alto, tenor and bass; and it stretched
across the planet now, every woman, man, religion and race….,” this song aptly
conveys the spirit of unification that defines this album.
Haydain Neale continues to affect his community with his music and his
dedication to many charitable organizations including Musican, Bridging The Gap
and Canada For Asia (Tsunami Relief Fund.) In 2005 jacksoul lent their voice to
the tile track on the holiday soundtrack Do You Hear What I Hear?, a CD
benefiting Kids Help Phone. jacksoul continues their community support this
year, with their involvement in Sonic Bloom, a fundraiser for the Toronto
Symphony Orchestra and the Stop The Violence Walk in Toronto.
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