(Associated Press) (12/08/03)

By Wes Orshoski

Edited By Michael Bennett

LOS ANGELES, CA - A JIMI HENDRIX tribute album being spearheaded by the rock icon's half-sister Janie will feature a previously unreleased Stevie Ray Vaughan medley. Also included will be newly-recorded covers from Prince, George Clinton and Bootsy Collins, Eric Clapton, Musiq and several others.

Titled "Power Of Soul," after Hendrix's song of the same name, the disc will benefit the United Negro College Fund.

Due May 4th by Los Angeles-based Image Entertainment and in conjunction with Experience Hendrix, the album contains a 1983 live Vaughan medley of "Little Wing" and "Third Stone From The Sun," Musiq's cover of "Are You Experienced?," Eric Gales doing "Foxy Lady" and Prince's reimagination of "Red House" as "Purple House."

Songs from Sting, Santana, John Lee Hooker, Earth, Wind & Fire, Chaka Kahn with Kid Rock guitarist Kenny Olson, Sounds Of Blackness, George Duke, Cee-Lo and Robert Randolph And The Family Band are also due for inclusion.

"Power Of Soul" is certainly not the first Hendrix tribute. Aside from smaller, more independent celebrations, Warner Bros. issued in the early 1990s a high-profile Hendrix tribute titled "Stoned Free," with covers from Soundgarden, the Cure, Clapton, Buddy Guy, Seal and Belly.

"A lot of the tribute albums that have come out have concentrated on Jimi's rock side. This is really more of the soul, R&B feel," Janie tells Billboard.com.

She says it's a project she's envisioned all her life, noting that it was in R&B where Jimi really paid his dues.

"He was in chitlin-circuit bands and playing with Diana Ross, the Isley Brothers, Little Richard, all them. So, I'm just trying to shed that light, too."

All songs, with the exception of the Hooker's previously issued version of "Red House," are new.

Janie says that she had approached Hooker about recording a new cover prior to his 2002 death, but he was physically unable to because of his declining health.

She adds that a major Hendrix DVD is in the works for late next year, but declined to give details.

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