Rhonda Smith and The Power of 3 Bring an Unheard Hendrix Riff to Life
Guitarist Orianthi, drummer Cindy Blackman Santana, and bassist Rhonda Smith have teamed up for a supergroup power trio called The Power of 3. The group has announced that their self-titled debut album will arrive on January 29, 2027. They’re celebrating by releasing a new single, “Taxi,” featuring an unreleased Jimi Hendrix riff.
Orianthi and producer Eddie Kramer (Hendrix, David Bowie, KISS) were granted access to the Hendrix archives. Orianthi discovered the previously unheard riff and it sparked her imagination.
“Getting to hear something from Jimi that the world hasn’t heard before was pretty incredible,” says Orianthi. “The moment I heard that riff, I knew there was something special there and immediately started imagining what we could do with it. I brought it to Cindy and Rhonda, and we just took off from there. There’s something really powerful about the three of us creating something new around a piece of music from someone who has inspired us so much. It’s our way of honouring Jimi while making something that’s completely our own.”
Smith, who has worked with everyone from Prince to Jeff Beck, locks in with Orianthi on the riff, adding dimension with fills and slides to bring the groove to life.
The Power of 3’s debut album will be out January 29th on CD and vinyl or as a digital download (Apple Music and Amazon Music).
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
