Lydia Pense has powerful vocal chops and has been compared in style to her contemporary, Janis Joplin. So impressed was Joplin with Pense as a rock-jazz-soul singer that she recommended Pense’s band, Cold Blood, to Bill Graham.

Generations of fans have turned out to see the East Bay-based band, which was featured in the documentary “Fillmore.” Not resting on laurels, the group, which like Tower of Power, features horns as well as guitar, has a new release, “Soul of the Gypsy.”

Hear the group live at a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery program, Saturday, May 6, at Harlow’s. 3-6 p.m., 2708 J St., Sacramento. $20-$25 at Ticketfly.com. Harlows.com; www.lydiapense.com