Second Octave Talent LLC, 720 Southpoint Blvd., Suite A-200, Petaluma ,CA 94954 t. 707-773-3170 f. 707-773-2994
© 2010 Second Octave Talent, LLC
© 2010 Second Octave Talent, LLC
2009 Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival
Review
Next up was the tiny dynamo Lydia Pense with her latest incarnation of Cold Blood. These cats were by far the most professional sounding unit of the weekend, what a band! Lydia's vocals were right-on and she sounded as good as she ever has. It was a blast to watch Pense lead and smile her crackling band for their one hour magical performance. Needless to say Cold Blood's performance was all about funk and soul, but their opening number had the blues-based crowd mesmerized as they ripped a through killer version of 'I Just Want To Make Love To You.' After the performance Lydia told me that they have not visited the east-coast in about twenty-five years, which is a shame, as Lydia and Cold Blood would be a welcome addition to festivals and clubs throughout the country as well as worldwide, they were that good. The crowd never danced harder all weekend long. Plus, you should have seen the lineup of fans that purchased the latest Cold Blood CD 'Live Blood' on www.digmusic.com many of whom told Lydia that she was the main reason they attended the festival. It was also cool to see how much vinyl Pense's adoring fans brought along for her to autograph. Catch this band live, as you won't be disappointed and also check out their current recording; that just burns! Kudos to the Cold Blood two piece horn section who often sounded like a full blown ensemble! Review
Bob Putignano www.SoundsofBlue.com
Lydia Pense, the missing link between Timi Yuro and Teena Marie in the pantheon of great blue-eyed soul women, is back with her first album in 29 years... the focus throughout is on Pense, who's as soulful as ever, though she no longer screams. Her gritty alto pipes project newly subtle nuances, at times suggesting Betty LaVette's influence. San Francisco Bay Guardian
Lydia Pense and Cold Blood work in close coordination on Transfusion, bringing forth a big, soulful sound...filled with lots of funky instrumental work, lively vocals, and good material. Transfusion's soulful groove is easy to enjoy.
AMG/allmusic
Cold Blood rocked the Fillmore with Lydia Pense's powerful chops and a strong horn section during those vintage years... The years have been very kind to Lydia Pense with a voice that reflects Janis Joplin 's in power and quality, the singer has matured like vintage wine...produced by veterans Steve Dunne and Skip Mesquite, the Transfusion CD remains true to Cold Blood's traditional burning delivery of good tunes Jazzreview.com
Transfusion is the group's first new music in 30 years, and it packs all the punch and funk and bright, tight horns that the old stuff had...As long as Cold Blood makes music this good, fans surely hope the band's saga will never end. The Sacramento Bee
Even after 30 years off wax and out of the tracks, Pense belts that big voice out of that little girl and re-launches some great audio fantasies... this is a throwback for yuppies that miss that old East Bay Grease sound. Midwest Record Recap
Transfusion features Lydia Pense doing what she does best: cultivating the perfect blend of funk, R&B and the blues with a tight sound and horn-driven melodies... Transfusion is the result of the experience of the last 40 plus years, and features Michelle Shocked on Down To The Bone and Lenny Williams who does a duet with Pense on "It Could Be Me, It Must Be You". The album is graced with the fine musicians that make up Cold Blood... John Shelton/ Ivany Top 21
The band's sound today is rooted in its original sound, but with a contemporary feel. Backed by a powerful rhythm section and a dynamic horn section, the legendary Lydia Pense continues to deliver an inspiring blend of funk, soul and blues. Little Fox Theater
Lydia Pense & Cold Blood shake the Biscuits and roll the Blues
05.04.10 - 1:38 pmBy Lilan Kane for the Bay Area Guardian
After 41 years together, local blues-funk outfit Cold Blood still sounds exactly like I imagine they would have when they were fresh to the scene back in the Bill Graham days. I never had the chance to see them before, so the evening I finally caught them, on April 23, was a particular treat for me, an avid Lydia lover. Of course I'm talking about lead singer Lydia Pense. It is near unbelievable how such a big a voice comes out of her pint-sized frame. Time has not faded her soulfulness by any means -- she still holds it down like a female James Brown.
On this night, Cold Blood served up a bucket of soul at the popular SF live music venue Biscuits & Blues. The band consisted of Rich Armstrong, a multi-faceted trumpet-flugelhorn-congas-percussionist, Steve Salinas on keyboards, Rob Zuckerman on sax, Steve Dunne on guitar, Evan Palmerston bass, and Donny Baldwin on drums. Opening the night with a cult classic, they performed the popular Willie Dixon tune "I Just Wanna Make Love To You." This song segued into several cuts from their album, Transfusion, and other hits. The first set also offered a sneak peak into some of the new material that will be released this fall on their first record in years. Fans will not be disappointed from what I heard.
But it was their second set that really got me hummin'. They pulled out several hits off their most popular record, Sisyphus, including "I'm A Good Woman," "Funky On My Back," and for the first time in twenty years, "Too Many People." Their cover of "Kissing My Love" was tasty and would have made Mr. Withers proud. The mélange of macaroni & cheese croquets and original Fillmore soul was the perfect fit for a Friday night in the city. Their horn section is still on point, the guitar is funky, the keyboards are fresh, the bass and drums are locked in the pocket, and Lydia is on fire. If you haven't heard of them or haven't seen them live, imagine this: Janis Joplin & Big Brother meets Tower of Power meets James Brown. Be on the lookout for their album set to release this fall.