RIX

Jano Rix, best known as one-third of Grammy Award-nominated trio The Wood Brothers, and his father, veteran drummer Luther Rix, whose career includes work with Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue, Leonard Cohen, and Ten Wheel Drive among numerous others, have joined forces on record for the first time. Simply calling themselves RIX, the father/son duo offer their debut album, Legacy, Vol. 1, a collaboration more than 12 years in the making.

Across 11 tracks, the album presents a mix of RIX originals and hand-picked covers rooted in shared musical DNA and a lifetime of listening. The project began as an exploration of this shared musical history, as well as an opportunity to explore a connection that, whether through blood bonds or knowledge accumulated over years of gigging, resulted in an intuitive, deeply personal collection.

“From the first note, we realized we feel time and groove in nearly the exact same way,” says Jano. “I never have to think about how we’ll connect—it just happens. That’s rare, and it comes from a lifetime of hearing him play, sitting behind his drums at gigs, and sharing the same musical language.”

“I always enjoyed playing with Jano, and I think he enjoyed playing with me,” adds Luther, laughing. “We always played well together, so it was natural to want to record it and put it out for people to hear.”

RIX initially began recording in Nashville at Southern Ground Studios, shortly after it reopened under Zac Brown’s ownership. From there, sessions unfolded slowly and organically. Whenever touring and gigging schedules aligned, the two would meet to track another song, add a vocal, or capture a live performance. The approach resulted in an album that is both loose and deeply locked-in, reflecting their easy musical rapport.

Among Legacy, Vol. 1’s originals are several of Luther’s vintage compositions, some dating back to the ’70s, like the instrumental “Strangely Blue,” written during his time in Ten Wheel Drive. Throughout, the duo’s feel and organic compatibility are front-and-center, whether on the humid funk ballad “Lovin’ You Is Easy” or the melancholic island groove of “I Ain’t Dancin’.”

The album’s two covers include “Blow Wind Blow,” a Huey “Piano” Smith classic adapted from Dr. John’s arrangement from his album Gumbo that traces back to Jano’s childhood listening to his dad’s copy on his Fisher-Price record player, and “All Kinds,” a deep cut penned by singer-songwriter Dan Wilson, which Jano discovered during his years playing with the Gabe Dixon Band.

Another standout is “Down And Nylon,” a stripped-down live performance captured at Brooklyn’s Southpaw club with the duo slimmed down to just drums and keys. Across five-and-a-half-minutes, the track sways from a rollicking New Orleans-style stomp to Band-like country funk.

“That is one of the tracks I enjoy the most,” Jano says. “You can just hear our feel so much in it.” “I agree,” Luther adds. “It’s just smoking.”

“Oop,” a funky three-minute instrumental, saunters along amidst a stack of keyboards and piano that dart and race around the bedrock of Luther’s percussion. “Sci-Fi Finale” wraps the proceedings with dubbed-out drumming and an ominous piano counterpoint, welcoming the weird as the record spins to a close.

Between them, Jano and Luther bring decades of musical experience. Luther’s career has taken him from work with rock ’n’ roll legends such as Dylan and Cohen to symphonies, Broadway pits, and Schoolhouse Rock! sessions. Jano’s multi-instrumental work has been central to The Wood Brothers’ acclaimed Americana sound, while he has produced records for artists such as Seth Walker, Steve Poltz, Oliver Wood, Upstate, and Chris Kasper.

Yet Legacy, Vol. 1 is their most personal statement, made not to chase trends or charts but to capture their shared love of music, document a unique family bond, and embrace the spirit of their shared groove.

“We never set out thinking, ‘Maybe we can make some money off this,’” Jano says. “It was always about getting the music down in a way that people could hear it and get it. This was about honoring what we share.”