The Power of 3: Three Women, One Very Loud Idea

The idea began with a football team owner and a big ambition. Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis suggested to guitarist Orianthi that she build a power trio in the spirit of Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys. She said yes.

The result is The Power of 3, a rock and roll trio built from three of the most respected players in the business. Their self-titled debut album arrives December 11 on She2Music, and the first songs are already out.

Orianthi, Cindy Blackman Santana and Rhonda Smith

Three Careers, One Band

Orianthi is one of the most in-demand guitarists working today. Michael Jackson chose her for his This Is It concerts, and she has played alongside Alice Cooper and Carlos Santana. Her solo album Some Kind of Feeling reached number one on the UK charts. Read our review of the album.

For a rhythm section she called drummer Cindy Blackman Santana, a composer and bandleader known for blending jazz, rock and improvisation. Her résumé runs from Lenny Kravitz to Pharoah Sanders to John McLaughlin to Carlos Santana himself, and Consequence ranks her number 20 on its list of the 100 best drummers of all time.

Bassist Rhonda Smith completed the lineup. A bassist, vocalist and composer, Smith spent years with Prince and has also played with Jeff Beck and Beyoncé. She is a Juno Award winner, and she currently plays with The Cletones, the house band on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Consequence places her at number 35 among the greatest bassists of all time.

Between them, the three have worked with Michael Jackson, Prince, Jeff Beck, Alice Cooper, Beyoncé, Lenny Kravitz, Santana and Pharoah Sanders. But the trio wants to be judged as a band, not a résumé. "Playing together with Cindy and Rhonda, this is like a powerhouse," Orianthi said. "It's not just me… this is a real band."

The trio settled on the concept at a cigar lounge at Resorts World in Las Vegas, after Davis first floated the idea around October 2023, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "We met in a dark room and became the Power of 3," Orianthi recalled.

The stage came before the studio. The trio has played Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas twice, including a free set before a Raiders-Cowboys game where they previewed original material. Orianthi has described the sound as having a Band of Gypsys vibe, but with commercial tunes, in the hope of reaching a lot of people.

The Songs

Watch the Power of 3's new video for "War In The Streets" below.

"War In The Streets" is a Hendrix-flavored blues rocker and a rallying cry for unity in a time of unrest and division. It rides a churning groove, and the three players dig in together, favoring the magic of a live jam over showy pyrotechnics before Orianthi closes it with an extended guitar solo. The chorus was written by Davis, with the band writing the verses and music.

The flip side of the double single, "Treat Me Like A Lady," shows the band's soulful side. It is a groove-heavy, feel-good track, sensual and playful, propelled by a bouncing, Motown-inspired bass line from Smith. Both songs are available now on all streaming platforms.

Analog, All the Way

For the debut album the trio chose Eddie Kramer, the producer behind landmark work with Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, KISS, the Rolling Stones and David Bowie. The album was recorded entirely in analog, and Orianthi says Kramer's method leans on the fundamentals: microphone placement, amplifiers, guitar settings and effects.

She praised what he brought to the sessions. "He definitely has brought out something that other producers haven't with his energy alone," she said. Guitar World's coverage of the album carries a story about a 25-minute jam the trio cut in the studio, one that Kramer had to mix.

The record also features a guest appearance by Carlos Santana, whose wife, Cindy Blackman Santana, holds down the drum chair.

Orianthi is also a vocal champion of the physical record. Earlier plans called for a vinyl-only release, and she made the case for it herself: "There's nothing like getting an old vinyl, putting on your record player, and enjoying it the way it should be enjoyed."

The album is now set for December 11, and no tour dates have been announced. But Orianthi says the band is ready to travel. "I know people all over the world want to see us," she said. "And we can't wait. It'll be so much fun to get out there." AM