After her first song Wednesday night at the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Martha Reeves was winded -- and admitted it.
She had nowhere to run, but she had plenty of places to hide -- behind her personality (which was immensely likable), behind the Vandellas (her fabulous backup singers) and behind her classic 1960s Motown repertoire ("Dancing in the Street," "Nowhere To Run," "Jimmy Mack"). But not behind her backup band.
The musicians at Motown were so steady and stellar that they were often taken for granted. But you miss them when they're gone, especially when the replacements aren't as practiced, precise and swinging. Reeves brought her own pianist/music director and bassist to the Dakota, but hired six Twin Cities musicians (drummer, guitarist and four horn players) to fill out the band. Even though these were some of the best jazz players in town, you can't compensate for a lack of rehearsal. And, disappointingly, the bass, which makes Motown music swing and makes you want to dance, was not loud enough during the entire 65-minute set.
Just 13 months ago at the Dakota, a tight, terrific touring band propelled Ronnie Spector, another aging Hall of Famer from the 1960s, to a tremendous performance. Even though she couldn't hit all her high notes, she still sang with the sweetness and innocence of a teen and performed with infectious enthusiasm.
At 70, Reeves doesn't have the same voice she did in her "Heat Wave" heyday. It's thinner with more vibrato but still undeniably soulful. When she really feels it (as she did on a couple of ballads and a blues number), you feel it. Ingeniously (and probably for practical reasons), she has two of her younger sisters singing backup. Not only did Lois, on board since '68 or '69, and Delphine, a Vandella since 1980, provide perfect harmonies (whether doo-wop, soul or pop) and dance with vintage Motown panache, but they offered sisterly timbre and phrasing to help bolster (or cover for) Martha.
Although Reeves was known for her earthy holler in the 1960s, the most alluring part of her voice on Wednesday was her piercingly soulful upper register. When she nailed a big high note at the end of "My Baby Loves Me" (a medium tempo R&B hit from 1966), you wanted to hear more from her R&B catalog. Oddly, it seemed the less well-known the number, the more satisfying the performance. "Watch Your Back," from 2002, had bluesy sass, and 1965's "Love (Makes Me Do Foolish Things)" felt far removed from Motown but unquestionably cool.
However, the near-capacity crowd came for the classics, which evoked the spirit but lacked the pizazz that made Motown a major part of the soundtrack of the '60s. While "Jimmy Mack" had a little spark, "Nowhere to Run," "Heat Wave" and "Dancing in the Street" felt so underwhelming that they prompted very few baby boomers to even get dancing in their seats.
After the experience of a second set on Wednesday and some more rehearsal, maybe Reeves and her musicians will click enough on Thursday to get people dancing on their feet.
