Reeves has fans dancing in their seats
By: Leslie Katz
Examiner Staff Writer
April 17, 2009
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Detroit City Councilwoman Martha Reeves sings the National Anthem during AJs Music Cafe's kickoff of its 240-hour musical tribute and support of the auto industry, Friday, March 20, 2009 in Ferndale, Mich. Owner A.J. O'Neil told The Detroit News he organized the show to pay tribute to American workers, products and automobiles amid the turmoil in the auto industry. (AP)
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SAN FRANCISCO — Motown great Martha Reeves apparently doesn't need her Vandellas these days.
Judging by the opening night of her gig in San Francisco's Rrazz Room, the backup singers were loud and clear, in the form of folks in the audience who knew every refrain.
Although Reeves banks on history and the memories of the middle-aged and senior concert-goers, her show feels like more than a nostalgia act.
Packing wit, charm and a down-home sensibility, she really connected with the crowd. She had ladies in the front row doing the "Temptation dance" and sang "happy anniversary" to a couple celebrating 35 years together.
Although she's probably talked about songwriters Holland Dozier Holland and music mogul Berry Gordy umpteen times, her anecdotes about the early days singing songs in Detroit (where she's currently a member of the city council) still sound fresh after 40 years.
Then there are the great songs: monster hits such as "Jimmy Mack," "Nowhere to Run" and "Heat Wave" as well as the early "Come and Get These Memories" and "My Baby Loves Me," which was recorded without the Vandellas.
A medley specifically arranged for a Copacabana appearance four decades ago – including "Boy from Ipanema," "Call Me" and "The Look of Love" – sounded great.
Reeves' songwriting talent, something overlooked when she topped the charts, has finally come to the limelight. Her voice sounded particularly good on her own compositions, "Watch Your Back" and "Home to You," which she wrote for her father and son, respectively. She also got down and bluesy with Duke Ellington's "Mood Indigo."
Pianist-music director Al McKenzie, drummer Otis Hayes and jovial pickup musicians "Steve and Steve" – Steve Gary on bass and and Steve Laciak on guitar – provided the perfect light-hearted accompaniment for the evening, which, of course, ended with "Dancing in the Street."
Reeves thanked some of the many musicians who have covered the tune – Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Dusty Springfield, The Mamas and the Papas, the Grateful Dead, the Who – and acknowledged Marvin Gaye, who wrote it, sweetly imitating his distinct cool style.
But, she said, "I decided to give it a New Orleans-carnival time feel” before launching into a joyous version that brought her giddy fans onstage and to their feet.
CONCERT REVIEW
Martha Reeves
Where: Rrazz Room, Hotel Nikko, 220 Mason St., San Francisco
When: 7 and 9:30 p.m. April 18, 3 p.m. April 19
Tickets: $35 to $40
Contact: (866) 468-3399; or www.therrazzroom.com
