Lydia Pense
American rock-soul-jazz singer (born 1947)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lydia Jane Pense (born December 14, 1947 in San Francisco, California) is an American rock-soul-jazz singer who, since 1969, has performed with the band Cold Blood. Critics have compared her style to powerful singers including Janis Joplin[1] and Aretha Franklin.
Lydia Pense | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 14, 1947 |
| Origin | San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Rock, soul, jazz |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 1969–present |
| Labels | Reprise (1972); Warner Bros. Records (1974); ABC (1976); Dig Music (2005) |
| Website | http://www.lydiapense.com/ |
History
Pense's family moved to Redwood City when she was 10.[2] At age 14, while attending Sequoia High School, Pense started singing with a band called the Dimensions, with guitarist Fred Tatman, Larry Hatch, and Kerry Yates.[2] She was a fan of Brenda Lee and was singing her songs, but the band encouraged her to sing R&B in the style of James Brown, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, and Ray Charles.
Joplin had recommended Pense to the music promoter Bill Graham to audition for the band Cold Blood.[1] Pense joined Cold Blood in 1968, and the band was one of the earliest music groups to be signed by Graham's Fillmore Records.[3]
The band Cold Blood separated in the late 1970s. Pense suspended her music career in the early 1980s to raise her daughter, Danielle before reforming the group in 1988.[4] The band continues to record, tour and perform.
Discography
Their initial four albums, Cold Blood, Sisyphus, First Taste of Sin (produced by Donny Hathaway), and Thriller remain the band's best-known work.
Albums
| Year | Album name | Band | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Cold Blood | Cold Blood | |
| 1971 | Sisyphus | Cold Blood | [5] |
| 1972 | Lights Out San Francisco (Voco Presents The Soul Of The Bay Area) | Various artists | Performed with the band Tower of Power.[6] |
| 1972 | First Taste of Sin | Cold Blood | |
| 1973 | Thriller | Cold Blood | |
| 1974 | Lydia | Cold Blood | |
| 1975 | The Best of Cold Blood | Cold Blood | |
| 1976 | Lydia Pense & Cold Blood | Lydia Pense and Cold Blood | The last album before the band's hiatus.[4] |
| 2001 | Vintage Blood: Live! 1973 | Live album | |
| 2005 | Transfusion | Lydia Pense and Cold Blood | |
| 2008 | Lydia Pense & Cold Blood: Live Blood "Live Album" | Lydia Pense and Cold Blood | |
| 2011 | The River City Sessions | Lydia Pense and Cold Blood | |
| 2015 | Soul Of The Gypsy | Lydia Pense and Cold Blood | [7] |
| 2023 | Cold Blue Heart | Lydia Pense and Cold Blood |
