An Unheard Jimi Hendrix Riff Just Became a New Song: Orianthi’s Power of 3 Drop “Taxi”

Somebody opened the Hendrix vault and found something nobody had heard. That somebody was Orianthi — and the riff she pulled out is now the backbone of a brand-new song.

Her Band of Gypsys-inspired power trio, the Power of 3 — Orianthi on guitar and vocals, Cindy Blackman Santana on drums and Rhonda Smith on bass — released “Taxi” on October 29, 2026. It’s built around a previously unreleased Jimi Hendrix guitar riff, as reported by Blabbermouth and Guitar World (Phil Weller, Oct. 30, 2026).

How the Riff Got Out of the Vault

According to the band’s announcement, Orianthi and producer Eddie Kramer — the engineer behind Hendrix’s classic records, plus David Bowie, KISS and the Rolling Stones — were granted access to the Hendrix archives through their longstanding relationships with the Hendrix estate.

While digging through the recordings, Orianthi hit on an unreleased riff. She brought it to Blackman Santana and Smith, and the three wrote “Taxi” together. One important detail: Orianthi recreated Hendrix’s original riff on the recording, and the trio built an entirely new song around it. This isn’t an archival Hendrix track — it’s a new song with Jimi’s idea at its core.

“Getting to hear something from Jimi that the world hasn’t heard before was pretty incredible,” Orianthi said. “The moment I heard that riff, I knew there was something special there and immediately started imagining what we could do with it.”

“It’s our way of honoring Jimi while making something that’s completely our own,” she added.

What “Taxi” Sounds Like

Guitar World describes the track opening with city-street sound effects and landing somewhere immediately reminiscent of “Crosstown Traffic,” before a galloping riff takes over. Weller notes that while Orianthi is a PRS artist, her tone here has a snapping, Strat-like quality — and her solo leans on whammy-bar moves and personal flourishes rather than straight Hendrix impersonation.

Who’s in the Power of 3

This is a serious lineup. Orianthi broke through worldwide as Michael Jackson’s guitarist and has played with Alice Cooper, Carlos Santana and Steve Vai. Blackman Santana has drummed for Lenny Kravitz and plenty of jazz and rock projects. Smith spent years as Prince’s bassist. Between them, the band lists collaborations with Michael Jackson, Prince, Jeff Beck, Alice Cooper, Beyoncé, Lenny Kravitz, Santana and Pharoah Sanders.

The band’s origin story has a twist: Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis encouraged Orianthi to put together a power trio modeled on Hendrix’s Band of Gypsys. The group has since played Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas twice.

The Album: Analog, Kramer and a Santana Cameo

“Taxi” is the trio’s third single, following the double single “War in the Streets” b/w “Treat Me Like a Lady.” All three appear on the band’s self-titled debut album, due December 11 via She2Music. Kramer produced it, it was recorded entirely in analog, and Carlos Santana makes a guest appearance.

The TGP Take

Hendrix archive releases usually mean another live tape or alternate take. This is different: a fragment of Jimi’s writing handed to three players who actually lived in his orbit of influence, with his own engineer behind the board. Purists may argue about whether a recreated riff counts as “new Hendrix.” But as a way to put an unheard idea into the world, it beats leaving it on a shelf.

FAQ

Is Jimi Hendrix playing on “Taxi”? No. Orianthi recreated the riff she found in the Hendrix archives, and the trio wrote a new song around it.

When does the Power of 3 album come out? The self-titled debut is due December 11, 2026, via She2Music.

Who produced it? Eddie Kramer, Hendrix’s longtime engineer and producer. The album was recorded entirely in analog and features a guest spot from Carlos Santana.