Album release party and Halloween jam for soul-funk five-some, The Rail

The Rail, a soul-funk quintet from Columbus and Birmingham, buried themselves in Spinnaker Studios all summer, working on their first album, “Quick, The Lights!” and we who keep up with the music scene have missed them. Now that they’re wrapping up production, they’re heading to The Loft, Oct. 28 for an album release and Halloween party.

You probably haven’t seen The Rail yet, and for good reason. Formed in July last year, the group is new, but you might recognize the players. Aaron Goldberg (bass) and Dean Tovey (guitar) have played together for years, going back to area favorite Skydog Gypsy. Dean also had years of experience working with Jason Ezzell (guitar), who played with Martell Hughes (percussion) with the group Uncommon. Aaron, who is deeply immersed in the Birmingham jazz scene, introduced Earnest Echols (keyboards) to the group early this Spring.

Since formation, The Rail has busied themselves at Spinnaker Studios, working on “Quick, The Lights.” Dean Tovey says that this audio time has been vital, helping the band “explore the direction of our sound and identity.”

The Rail have a lot of musical identities to navigate. Coming from backgrounds as varied as jazz, funk, rock and hip-hop, The Rail have fused these styles into a tight, dance-inducing groove that swings from mellow reggae to hard rock. Dean was kind enough to send some advance studio cuts, and we’ve been listening to them all week.

Of their song-writing process, Dean explains that they start with the groove. From this deep, funky base, the band builds precisely articulated compositions which they can explore in extended improvisational jams. In the tunes we received, there are clearly hints and echoes of Herbie Hancock, John Scofield and Galactic, artists The Rail adamantly claim as influences. What we do not hear from The Rail are tracks that sound like any of those artists. The Rail exist inside their broader genre as a unique iteration, not an imitation. The music is textured, surprising, funked up and fun.

The music, which can swell from controlled and calm to a full-blown, funky gale, is a byproduct of the way each member came into music. Dean, Jason and Martell are all self-taught musicians. Aaron studied at the prestigious Berkeley College of Music in Boston, and Earnest’s day job is as a high school band director. The balance of backgrounds, between classically trained and do-it-yourself, produces a balance in the music, between rawness and refinement, that allows the group to interweave such diverse influences into their work. 

Outside of The Rail, each member is busy with music. Jason Ezzell owns and operates Spinnaker Studios, an audio production facility in Columbus that specializes in voiceovers, musical ensembles and singer-songwriters. Dean Tovey and Martell Hughes both hand craft their own instruments, which you can see Oct. 28 at The Loft. Earnest Echols and Aaron Goldberg both live in Birmingham, where Earnest teaches high school band and Aaron gigs with local jazz ensembles.

Oct. 28, 9 p.m. at The Loft (1032 Broadway, Columbus), we get to hear The Rail. They’ve been working in the studio for more than a year. The tracks are dope, the band is tight, the time is now. The album release party will be a big event. The Rail have partnered with John Creel Productions, who ran production last year for March Madness, to put on a light show; Dean wouldn’t give us any details, and that’s always a good sign. The Rail’s set will run 9 to 11:30 p.m., after which GUNPWDR (DJ Drizno and Danny Geeze) take over for a dark, gritty late-night dance party. The Loft will be ready to celebrate Halloween with a $1,000 best costume prize. We’re not saying that you have every reason to be at The Loft Oct. 28, but you sure have a lot of great reasons. See you there.