Sons of Cream brings audiences back to the ’60s, and Cream back to the stage.

There is a secret to covering a song from the legendary supergroup Cream.

“To play Cream properly, you have to improvise and improvise well,” explains Kofi Baker. “My dad would be pissed if we played songs the same way twice.”

“Dad” in his case is Ginger Baker, the groundbreaking drummer for Cream and later Blind Faith, who set the tempo for classic rock standards such as “Strange Brew,” “Badge” and “White Room” and stole the show during “Toad.” Under his tutelage, Kofi Baker learned to look askance at musicians who merely learned the song.

“Why would I copy another drummer playing just what is needed?” he says.

It’s the kind of attitude that makes Baker – along with bandmates Malcolm Bruce and Rob Johnson – among the few who can bring Cream to the stage as if it were The Fillmore in 1967. That Bruce is the son of Cream bassist Jack Bruce and Johnson a grandnephew of Baker means they were immersed in their elders’ style.

“The music was so good – blues, jazz and rock, the perfect blend of a jam band and fusion,” Baker observes.

Baker, Bruce and Johnson make up Sons of Cream. As a group, they go beyond the bounds of a tribute band, performing hits like “Sunshine of Your Love” as if they were their own, yet remaining true to the vibe of Cream on stage. Baker notes that each member brings different influences to the songs, adding that Gene Krupa is among his favorite drummers.

But like Cream, he adds, when they play live, “We go off. We take it out.”

Not only are they veterans at performing sets from the Cream catalog (along with a couple from Blind Faith), Sons of Cream have an album scheduled for release later this year. Half and Half is split between their own originals and Cream classics. And Baker is pleased with the result.

“‘I Feel Free’ sounds better than the original,” he says, pointing out that Bruce added harmonies and that on the 1967 recording, “Dad’s drums were kind of buried.”

Sons of Cream are touring in recognition of Cream’s 1966 debut. For Baker, flowing with the music is part of his DNA.

“For me, it’s the only thing I can play now, because it’s different every time,” he says. “It works. People love it.”

SONS OF CREAM perform 8pm Saturday, Jan. 31. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $43-$91. (831) 649-1070, goldenstatetheatre.com