The sounds of Sweet Martha

When she got on the phone, Martha Reeves -- the "Martha" of "and the Vandellas" -- sounded like a sweet, polite grandma.

During the course of the next 45 minutes, she turned into an ambassador for Motown music, an expert on civil rights, an advocate for the elderly, a political commentator, a music critic, a booster of Detroit (she served on its city council), a self-styled preacher and Stevie Wonder's biggest fan.

"She likes to talk," her manager had warned.

Between her recent appearance on "VH1 Soul Divas" and an upcoming three-week tour of Europe with the Vandellas, Reeves, 70, is squeezing in two nights this week at the Dakota Jazz Club. She can't remember the last time she was in Minneapolis but she did mention playing Met Center with the Rolling Stones and Stevie Wonder and doing a show with James Brown and Mary Wells.

She has more vivid memories of last month's "VH1 Soul Divas," which featured Mary J. Blige, Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Chaka Khan, Florence Welch and Sharon Jones.

"I think I was added at the last minute," Reeves said last week from Detroit. "I had three days' notice. It was quite an adventure, very star-studded."

Now she's touring with her own sister act -- these Vandellas are two of her younger siblings.

Her sisters weren't part of the recording of "Heat Wave," the 1963 breakthrough for Martha and the Vandellas. That summer sensation was actually cut in December when the Motown songwriting/producing team of Holland-Dozier-Holland came to get Reeves at the company holiday party.

"I'm in my little shiny dress and high-heel shoes that hurt," she recalled. "They said, 'C'mon, we're going to go cut a song.' I said, 'No, I came here for a party.' I was eager to work with Holland-Dozier-Holland. So I went to the studio and, in midwinter, they want me to sing about a heat wave. In two takes, I got the song. Back to the party."

Reeves, who started at Motown at age 20 as a secretary, was given "Dancing in the Street" by Marvin Gaye, one of its co-writers.

"Marvin sang it like a love song," said Reeves, who, over the phone, imitated Gaye's demo recording, on which he played drums, piano and other instruments. "Marvin took 'The Star Spangled Banner' and made it romantic. That was his style. I couldn't sing ['Dancing in the Street'] the way he did it, so I asked if I could do it the way I felt it."

Reeves' style has often been described as grittier and more aggressive than the Supremes'.

The Supremes were the first all-female group inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (in 1988), Martha and the Vandellas were the second (in '95).

Even though she left Motown when the label moved to Los Angeles in 1972, Reeves has never stopped performing. She did cut back on her gigs when she served on the Detroit City Council from 2005 to 2009.

"Work had slowed down after 9/11. I had asked in prayer to increase my bounty and the politician in me came out," she explained. "A few ordinances I initiated are still in place. I got a tax break for small businesses such as myself." She also pushed successfully to rename the street where Motown was housed Berry Gordy Jr. Boulevard after the label's founder.

During her term, Reeves witnessed the dark side of politics as the mayor went to prison for obstruction of justice and the City Council president pleaded guilty to accepting a bribe.

"At least I was an honest person and I didn't have any legal challenges," Reeves said. "I listened to the people -- most of my constituents were seniors -- and voted for the people." One term was enough. "I'd rather be around entertainers and musicians and performers," she said.

Her outspoken opinions landed her in an upcoming documentary "Re:Generation," featuring collaborations between veteran and newer acts. Reeves worked with Crystal Method, a Los Angeles electronica duo.

"They had heard that I'd said live musicians far outperform the noisy toys. And Crystal Method wanted to show me that the combination of the two makes a good product," Reeves said. "Al McKenzie, my music director, showed them how to make a Motown sound in one day by using live musicians. And it was a great day to compose the song right there with them. We both had a pleasant experience."

The Vandellas may not perform that tune ("I'm Not Leaving") at the Dakota, but you can count on "Nowhere to Run," "Jimmy Mack" and "Dancing in the Street." How many times has Reeves performed "Heat Wave" in the past 49 years?

"I wouldn't even want to count," she said. "I tell you, every time I sing it, it's like the fountain of youth. Every time I sing, I can feel as young as when I did it the first time."