Martha Reeves, 84, Readies First Album in 22 Years
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- Martha Reeves, now 84, is releasing her first album in 22 years, titled "Searching," and inviting reader questions ahead of the June 23 deadline.
- "Searching" is co-produced by jazz trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis and traverses jazz, R&B, gospel, and blues, including a recording of the standard "Summertime."
- The new album includes "I've Got It Bad," a song Reeves first recorded with the Vandellas that was never previously released.
- Martha and the Vandellas formed in 1962 and delivered Motown staples including "Heat Wave," "Dancing in the Street," "Jimmy Mack," "I'm Ready for Love," and "Nowhere to Run."
- "Dancing in the Street" was a euphoric dance anthem that took on new meaning at the height of the civil rights movement, becoming a rallying call for protesters to unite.
- After the group wound down in 1973, Reeves recorded five solo albums, acted on Broadway, and continued to perform live.
- Reeves told Rolling Stone the album title "represents hope for the future in all things," framing the project as a statement of artistic continuity decades after her Motown peak.
Why it matters: An 84-year-old Motown icon returning to the studio after 22 years with a jazz-inflected record co-produced by Delfeayo Marsalis signals deliberate artistic reinvention rather than nostalgia cash-in. The inclusion of a never-released Vandellas track gives longtime fans new material from the group's archive while the genre-spanning direction courts jazz audiences Reeves hasn't formally targeted before.
