The recently returned host of Visions, Kaleigh Wilder brings excitement and a broad-spanning perspective to the best of jazz. Always exploring different facets of the genre with a discerning and admiring ear, Kaleigh brings listeners a finely-tuned list of new artists to watch for and re-released favorites from 2025.

Looking back at 2025, she says:

“One of the things that had me excited all year, really since March, was the fact that Strata East Records was reissuing their catalog in partnership with Mack Avenue Records. I can now go to Bandcamp and buy music whereas before I could maybe find on YouTube or had to own a physical record to listen to it. I know a lot of that music was from the 70’s and 80’s, but a 2025 re-release has been a high point of my music listening this year.

“I was also really energized by Cecile McLorin Salvant’s new record, “Oh Snap,” because it’s so different than her other work. The album isn’t one she intended to release, just a passion project to spark new ways of creating where she used effects and tools she never used before. I’m so glad she released it! It’s really refreshing to hear her in this new context.”

Check out Kaleigh’s full Best of 2025 playlist below, and listen to In The Groove to hear her selections.

• “How You Been” – SML

• “Bishop” – Anna Butterss

• “Brilliant Circles”- Charles Tolliver & Stanley Cowell

• “Footprints” – ARTEMIS

• “FREEDOM JAZZ DANCE” – Kassa Overall

• “Guereh” – Noura Mint Seymali

• “Eureka” – Cecile McLorin Salvant

• “Unconditional Love” – Milena Casado

Tune in for reairs of In The Groove: Best Of 2025 Dec. 22-24 on 101.9 FM and stream on wdet.org — and follow along online for Best Of playlists and reflections from our music hosts.

See the Best of 2025 playlists »

Every year, legendary jazz broadcaster Ed Love (host of Destination Jazz: The Ed Love Program on 101.9 WDET Sundays 5–7 p.m.) curates a list of recently-released recordings that he considers required listening for today’s jazz lovers.

This year’s list features 166 “CDs” from around the world, from France with Michel Petrucciani’s ‘Jazz Club Montmartre’ to right here in Detroit with the compilation album ‘Strata-East: The Legacy Begins.’

Use the table below to check out Ed Love’s highly recommended new CDs for 2025.

Modern Music host Jon Mosier joins In The Groove to share his Best of 2025 selections, spotlighting standout tracks from across new and emerging independent artists from Detroit and beyond.

From the propulsive energy of “Hey You – Radio Edit” by The Belair Lip Bombs to the expansive sound of “Others” by Matthew Smith Group, Jon’s picks reflect a year defined by adventurous new voices and confident returns from indie mainstays.

As Jon puts it: “2025 was a stellar year for under-the-mainstream-radar music from all over the globe and right here in Detroit with an impressive number of brand-new artists releasing debut records as well as indie stalwarts returning this year with solid records. Trends from my world are the continuing influence of 1980s post-punk experimentalism and shoe-gaze.”

Check out Jon’s full Best of 2025 playlist below, and listen to In The Groove to hear his selections.

• “Hey You” — The Belair Lip Bombs
• “Others” — Matthew Smith Group
• “Deus-Dará” — Oruã
• “DrnkGrlfrnd” — Kiln
• “Mercury” — Automatic
• “Secret Door” — Jeff Tweedy
• “Unsolicited Advice” — Laura Lee & the Jettes
• “Uniform” — TVOD
• “(You Can’t Go Back To) Oxford Talawanda” — Guided By Voices
• “Evil People” — MIEN
• “It’s All About the Music” — Bee Bee Sea

Tune in Friday, Dec. 12 – Friday Dec. 19 on 101.9 WDET FM, stream anytime at wdet.org — and follow along online for daily Best Of playlists and reflections from our music hosts.

See the Best of 2025 playlists »

Once again, Jon Moshier teams up with local all-vinyl DJ and record collector Dave Lawson for a brand-new batch of rare and sometimes unusual holiday gems on the award-winning (not so) Modern Music Holiday Special!

Tune in Saturday, Dec. 20 at 4p.m. EST and again on Tuesday, Dec. 23 at 10p.m. here on 101.9 WDET.

Looking back at 2025, Rob Reinhart from Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music and Acoustic Cafe reflects on the music that cut through the noise and brought moments of joy during a challenging year.

From the infectious energy of Jon Batiste’s “Big Money” — a delightful track from an album famously created in just 12 days — to “After I’m Dead” by Detroit rocker Ryan Allen, a sharp, compact song from one of three albums released by Ryan Allen & His Extra Arms in 2025, Rob’s picks celebrate humor, heart, and creativity at its most human.

Rob says, “Looking back at 2025, I wanted to see what captured my attention the most. The music that made me laugh held the biggest sway over me this year. It helped to brighten the mood in an otherwise very dark year. Smiles count, too! In that spirit, I offer the following samples of tracks that brightened my year.”

Check out Rob’s full Best of 2025 playlist below, and listen to In the Groove to hear the tracks that brought some much-needed light to the year.

• “BIG MONEY” – Jon Batiste
• “After I’m Dead” – Ryan Allen And His Extra Arms
• “Chicago” – Mavis Staples
• “Round and Round” – Alex Williams
• “No Champagne (6am)” – Cautious Clay
• “Divide and Conquer” – The Devil Makes Three
• “If Not For Love” – Durand Jones & The Indications, Durand Jones & Aaron Frazer
• “Killer Bee” – Jack Spivey
• “Yard Sale” – Priscilla Block
• “Uptown Downtown” – Jon Cleary
• “Sleeves Up” – Crys Matthews

Tune in Friday, Dec. 12 – Friday Dec. 19 on 101.9 WDET FM, stream anytime at wdet.org — and follow along online for daily Best Of playlists and reflections from our music hosts.

See the Best of 2025 playlists »

Few voices are as deeply woven into Detroit’s musical fabric as Ann Delisi’s. A trusted presence in Detroit radio for decades, Ann brings her unmatched perspective and curiosity to In the Groove with her Best of 2025 selections.

As a longtime champion of artists across genres and generations — from Detroit innovators to global icons — Ann’s picks reflect a career spent listening closely, asking questions, and shaping how this city hears music. Her Best of 2025 continues that legacy, highlighting the records and artists that resonated most with her this year.

Check out Ann Delisi’s full Best of 2025 playlist below, and listen to In the Groove to hear her selections and insights from one of Detroit radio’s most essential voices.

• “Midnight Marauders” – Don Was
• “Stealing A Kiss” – The War and Treaty
• “Gunslinger” – Natalie Bergman
• “No Rain, No Flowers” – The Black Keys
• “Flower Moon” – Durand Jones & The Indications & Aaron Frazer
• “The New Normal” – Sheryl Crow
• “Rollin’ B-Side Blues” – The Muggs
• “Midnight (feat. Keezy)” – Brother Thunder
• “Sober” – Bartees Strange

Tune in Friday, Dec. 12 – Friday Dec. 19 on 101.9 WDET FM, stream anytime at wdet.org — and follow along online for daily Best Of playlists and reflections from our music hosts.

See the Best of 2025 playlists »

Alternate Take host Liz Warner brings her deep listening and lifelong passion for music to In The Groove with her Best of 2025 selections, offering a genre-spanning look at the sounds that shaped the year.

An award-winning audio journalist, DJ, writer and longtime WDET voice known for exploring music and art that shapes Detroit’s culture, Liz highlights the tracks that stood out to her from both established innovators and exciting new voices.

Check out the playlist below for Liz Warner’s top 10 songs of 2025, and listen to the full show above for two weeks after it airs.

• “And Nothing Is Forever (Cosmodelica Electric Eden Remix)” – The Cure
• “cosa rara (feat. David Sylvian)” – Lucrecia Dalt
• “baby” – Gabriel Jacoby
• “Neon Grey Midnight Green” – Neko Case
• “Backwards” – Idle Ray
• “I Wish I Didn’t Waste Your Time” – Thundercat
• “Gadabout Season” – Brandee Younger
• “Babystar” – Matthew Herbert & Momoko Gill
• “Shapeshift (Radio Edit)” – HAAi

Tune in Friday, Dec. 12 – Friday Dec. 19 on 101.9 WDET FM, stream anytime at wdet.org — and follow along online for daily Best Of playlists and reflections from our music hosts.

See the Best of 2025 playlists »

Beginning Friday, December 12, Ryan Patrick Hooper kicks off a week-long celebration for the best music of 2025 on In The Groove.

Each day, a different WDET music host will join Ryan to share their favorite releases of the year and reflect on the artists, albums and sounds that shaped 2025. From jazz to hip-hop, indie, electronic and beyond, experience the full spectrum of the music that defined the year, all through the ears of WDET’s trusted music hosts.

• Friday, Dec. 12: Ryan Patrick Hooper from In The Groove noon to 3 p.m

• Monday, Dec. 15: Liz Warner from Alternate Take 2–3 p.m.

• Tuesday, Dec. 16: Ann Delisi from Ann Delisi’s Essential Music 1–2 p.m.
• Wednesday, Dec. 17: Rob Reinhart from Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music and Acoustic Café noon to 1 p.m.
• Thursday, Dec. 18: Jon Moshier from Modern Music noon to 1 p.m.
• Friday, Dec. 19: Kaleigh Wilder from Visions 1–2 p.m.

Tune in »

A year of community and creativity

2025 was a year of remarkable community commitment for WDET. When government funding for Detroit Public Radio was cut, our listeners showed up in force. We reached our fall fundraising goals and welcomed more than 250 new members in the first week of December alone. Detroit once again demonstrated that this community stands up for independent media, storytelling, music and culture when it matters most.

And let’s be honest — Detroit is a music city. As global audiences released unforgettable work across every genre, Detroit’s own music scene continued to thrive, innovate and put out some of its strongest recordings yet. From celebrated artists to emerging talent, the city’s creative energy remains unmatched.

Celebrating sound together

In The Groove is rooted in no genres — just good music, and this year’s “Best Of” series is a celebration of the artists, recordings and musical moments across the full spectrum of sound that moved us in 2025. It’s a musical reflection of the year we just lived through and a reminder of the power of music to connect and inspire us.

And the celebration wouldn’t be complete without you! Let us know your favorite songs of 2025, and we’ll share your picks on the air. Leave us a message on the Groove Hotline at 313-577-3414, or use the “Open Mic” feature in the WDET mobile app before Dec. 19 to be included.

Join us all week long as we honor the art, artists and listeners who made 2025 unforgettable.

See the Best of 2025 playlists »

Listen to the full playlist:

Tune in starting Friday, Dec. 12 on 101.9 WDET FM, stream anytime at wdet.org — and follow along online for daily Best Of playlists and reflections from our music hosts.

See the Best of 2025 playlists »

Darren Revell’s Big Sonic Heaven ruled Sunday night radio in Detroit for over 8 years, beginning in 1995. After leaving the airwaves, the show continued to develop a fervent international following of folks looking for shoegaze, dream pop, brit pop, trip hop, and electronic music with online streaming shows.

WDET is proud to introduce the next chapter in this groundbreaking program with a new weekly radio show every Sunday night from 9 p.m. to midnight. Darren will also be joining the on-air talent team as a support host.

Big Sonic Heaven will begin broadcasting on WDET this Sunday, November 16, at 9 p.m., replacing rebroadcasts of the Don Was Motor City Playlist and Sound Opinions.

More jazz on Saturday nights, and farewell to The New Music Show on WDET

WDET listeners will have more opportunity to enjoy Kaleigh Wilder’s Visions (Monday 8-10 p.m.), with rebroadcasts every Saturday night from 8-10 p.m. beginning November 15.

The New Music Show wrapped up a fantastic run of shows with its last broadcast on Saturday, November 8. We want to thank Shigeto for an amazing 19-month run on WDET.

Fans of the Don Was Motor City Playlist (Friday 8-10 p.m.) will now find an encore broadcast every Monday night from 10 p.m. to midnight (replacing the rebroadcast of Acoustic Café).

The Progressive Underground (Saturday 6-8 p.m.) with Chris Campbell rebroadcasts Wednesday nights, 10 p.m. to midnight.

Download our updated program schedule to see the new layout.

After taking time away to focus on her health, Kaleigh is doing great and ready to return to the music that inspires her and so many others. Starting Nov. 3, listeners can once again join her every Monday from 8 to 10 p.m. as she explores the vanguard of postmodern jazz from 1969 to today.

“I’m really excited to be coming back to Visions,” Kaleigh says. “It’s been a challenging recovery process, but knowing I’ll get to return to the airwaves and to my listeners is one of the things that kept me pushing through.”

Kaleigh’s perspective has always made Visions special. She created a space where listeners can hear jazz in new ways and connect through sound.

We’re also very grateful to Sam Beaubien, Liz Warner and Kim Heron for filling in during Kaleigh’s time away and keeping Visions on track.

Welcome back, Kaleigh. Monday nights just got wilder!

Listen to Visions on Monday nights from 8 to 10 p.m. 

If you value Detroit Public Radio as your local source for news, music and conversation, we want to hear from you!

As a community-funded public radio station, your feedback and insights help shape WDET 101.9 FM. That’s why we are asking you — our community of listeners — to take part in WDET’s third annual Listener Survey.

The results of the survey will help inform future programming, membership and engagement at WDET by letting us know what you love about the station, what you’d like more of, and where we can improve.

Let us know your thoughts by taking our survey below, now through Aug. 15. It’s quick, it’s anonymous and you’ll be helping Detroit Public Radio serve you better!