An insanely special guest stops by – the legend Ed Love! To celebrate his birthday, he joins Ryan Patrick Hooper for a discussion about his career and shares some stories from back in the day, like introducing Art Blakey at the Hotel Pontchartrain in 1984, and how the sound of jazz made up the soundtrack for the Civil Rights Movement.

The set features music from Curtis Fuller, Donald Byrd, Les McCann, Lonnie Liston Smith and more. You can listen starting at the 2:19 mark.

Plus, new music from Hollie Cook, Jordan Rakei & FKJ, alongside tracks from Kelela, Amber Mark, Tom Misch, and Yussef Dayes. 

There’s dance floor energy from Underworld, Hot Chip, and Flight Facilities, plus music from Panda Bear, Sonic Boom, and Adrian Sherwood, with classics from The Beach Boys, Blondie, Elvis Costello & The Attractions, The Damned, and New York Dolls. 

Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above. 

In The Groove with Ryan Patrick Hooper playlist for May 6, 2026 

• “Villain” – Annahstasia 

• “Problems” – Jordan Rakei & FKJ 

• “Know You Love Me (Flight Facilities Remix)” – Riva Starr, Flight Facilities & Soul Speech 

• “Different Places” – Amber Mark & John The Blind 

• “idea 1” – Kelela 

• “Days Of Us” – Tom Misch & Kaidi Akinnibi 

• “Marching Band (feat. Masego)” – Yussef Dayes 

• “Rockaway Dub” – Hollie Cook 

• “Slow Down” – Skip Marley & H.E.R. 

• “Whirlpool Dub (Adrian Sherwood Reset in Dub Version)” – Panda Bear, Sonic Boom & Adrian Sherwood 

• “Caroline, No” – The Beach Boys 

• “stupid prizes” – KeiyaA 

• “Bamboo” – Harvey Sutherland 

• “Didn’t Cha Know / Gone Baby Don’t Be Long (Medley)” – Cousin Kula 

• “Too Good (Unknown Mortal Orchestra Remix)” – Arlo Parks 

• “Color My Life” – Chicano Batman 

• “Break Me Down” – Yukimi 

• “Need to Run” – Matthew Herbert & Momoko Gill 

• “Jumbo (Remastered)” – Underworld 

• “Over and Over” – Hot Chip 

• “Pawa! (Boys’ Shorts Remix)” – Asha Puthli & Say She She 

• “Heart of Glass (12-Inch Version)” – Blondie 

• “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” – Elvis Costello & The Attractions 

• “New Rose” – The Damned 

• “Trash” – New York Dolls 

• “Cult of Celebrity” – Lambrini Girls 

• “One Thing At A Time” – Courtney Barnett 

• “Goo Goo Muck” – The Cramps 

• “Chantized” – Curtis Fuller 

• “Bup A Loup” – Donald Byrd 

• “Astral Traveling” – Lonnie Liston Smith 

• “Price You Gotta Pay To Be Free” – Les McCann 

• “Mississippi God Damn” – Nina Simone 

Listen to In the Groove with host Ryan Patrick Hooper weekdays from noon-3 p.m. ET on 101.9 WDET or stream on-demand at wdet.org. 

This week on Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music we’ll note some classic album anniversaries from May of 1966 – 2006… also lots of new tunes from Canadian Cat Clyde, a third album from Arlo Parks, the final “balloon” from Tank & The Bangas, a quiet folk record from Michigan’s Ryan Racine and much more!

See the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music Playlist for May 2, 2026

HOUR ONE:

• “Invisible Ink” – King Tuff
• “Beams” – Arlo Parks
• “Acid Tongue” – Swamp Dogg
• “Puppy And A Truck” – Jenny Lewis
• “I Wish” – Stevie Wonder (1 of 30 NYT Best Living Songwriters)
  
• “Steady As She Goes” – The Raconteurs (May 2006)
  
• “Ahead By A Century” – The Tragically Hip (May 1996)
• “Cherry Bomb” – The Runaways (May 1976)
• “Love Song 43” – Ryan Racine
• “Hold My Hand” – Cat Clyde
• “Panic In Detroit” – Steven Brown
• “All The Disaster” – Sarah McLachlan
• “Big Time” – Peter Gabriel (May 1986)
• “Little Darling (I Need You)” – Marvin Gaye (May 1966)

• “Riptides” – Death Cab For Cutie
• “Oyaya” – Angelique Kidjo
• “6th Ward” – Trombone Shorty
• “I Did This To Myself” – Thundercat
• “Whole Lot Of Shakin’ In My Heart” – Smokey Robinson (1 of 30 NYT Best Living Songwriters)
• “6th Avenue Heartache” – The Wallflowers (May 1996)
• “All Night” – Chance The Rapper (May 2016)
• “Carmelita” – Warren Zevon (May 1976)
• “Move” – Tank & The Bangas
  
• “Heart Stop” – The Revivalists
  
• “IRL” – Devon Gilfillian
• “New York State Of Mind” – Billy Joel (May 1976)
• “Uptight (Everything’s Alright)” – Stevie Wonder (May 1966)

Listen to Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org

The first day of April brings new sounds to this playlist, moving from DJ Koze to Arlo Parks and Kassa Overall. It also includes Courtney Barnett, Broken Social Scene, and Neko Case, alongside Liz Cooper and Butcher Brown. 

There are also cuts from Stereolab, Digable Planets, and Antibalas, plus tracks from Haley Heynderickx, Widowspeak, and Mk.gee. 

Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above. 

In The Groove with Ryan Patrick Hooper playlist for April 1, 2026 

• “Better Than Ever” – Liz Cooper 

• “Plasty” – LL Burns 

• “Taka” – Pino Palladino & Blake Mills 

• “Step Lightly” – Shabaka 

• “No Others” – Momoko Gill 

• “Valsa” – Fabiano do Nascimento & Vittor Santos e Orquestra 

• “National Song (Live at Ekko, 2021)” – Nana Adjoa 

• “You Wanna Dance Or What? (feat. Tommy McGee)” – Joshua Idehen 

• “Pick Up (12″ Extended Disco Version)” – DJ Koze 

• “Heaven” – Arlo Parks 

• “Flashes in the Afternoon” – Stereolab 

• “Dog It” – Digable Planets 

• “SPOTTIEOTTIEDOPALISCIOUS” – Kassa Overall 

• “Aruna” – DJ Koze 

• “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” – Daryl Hall & John Oates 

• “Kenya” – Os Ipanemas 

• “Monotropa” – MRKT 

• “’Babystar (Momoko Gill Remix)” – Matthew Herbert & Momoko Gill 

• “HOURS:AFTER” – Butcher Brown 

• “BIG POPPA” – Kassa Overall 

• “La Ceiba” – Antibalas 

• “In a Dream” – Misha Panfilov Sound Combo 

• “One Thing At A Time” – Courtney Barnett 

• “If You Change” – Widowspeak 

• “Problem with It” – Plains 

• “That Teenage Feeling” – Neko Case 

• “Anthems For A Seventeen Year-Old Girl” – Broken Social Scene 

• “Cowboying” – Haley Heynderickx & Max García Conover 

• “I Want” – Mk.gee 

• “LONG TIME NO SPEAK” – ZENA 

• “Love Is Still The Answer (Prince Fatty Rockers Dub)” – SOOTHSAYERS 

• “There Are Worse Things I Could Do” – Joan As Police Woman 

• “Prisoner of Love” – Gabrielle Cavassa 

• “Like Swimwear (part one) [feat. Anna Butterss, Jay Bellerose & Josh Johnson]” – Jeff Parker & ETA IVtet 

Listen to In the Groove with host Ryan Patrick Hooper weekdays from noon-3 p.m. ET on 101.9 WDET or stream on-demand at wdet.org.

This week on Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music a couple cuts from a fascinating new album from Kronos Quartet and Mahalia Jackson, featuring her amazing singing and in conversation with Studs Terkel in 1963.

Also, new Detroit tunes from Dames Brown, The Legal Matters, another Nick Piunti preview, the duo Rosetta Pebble and more!

See the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music Playlist for January 31, 2026

HOUR ONE:

• “Against The Dying Of The Light” – Jose Gonzalez
• “(It Takes All Kinds) To Make A World” – Gail Ann Dorsey
• “The Stars Are Out Tonight” – David Bowie
• “Opening Night” – Arctic Monkeys
• “Hold On” – Mahalia Jackson & The Kronos Quartet
  
• “What Would You Do” – Dames Brown
• “Rendevouz” – Will Sessions + Dames Brown, Amp Fiddler
  
• “I Got You” – Tedeschi Trucks Band
  
• “I Wish You Love” – Frank Sinatra
• “Stay Away” – Charles Bradley
• “Can’t Hold Us” – Sampa The Great
  
• “Handshake Deal” – Nick Piunti
  
• “Get On The Right Thing” – Wings
  

• “Music Always” – AV & The Inner City
• “Perfect Day” – Al Green w/Raye
• “2Sided” – Arlo Parks
• “Sweet Love” – Stephen Sanchez
• “The Message” – The Legal Matters
• “Chicago” – Mavis Staples
  
• “In The Saddle” – Whitney
• “Practice” – Jamila Woods w/Saba
• “Your Old Stand By” – Mary Wells
• “Disco Life” – Say She She
• “Bend In The River” – Rosetta Pebble
• “Hair Down” – Samm Henshaw
• “Shapes & Sizes” – Joan Armatrading & The Kronos Quartet
• “This World Will Make You Think” – Mahalia Jackson & The Kronos Quartet

Listen to Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org