This week on Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music lots of great new Detroit tunes from Dames Brown, Nick Piunti, The Legal Maters…

Also new music now from some great 80s legends still delivering excellent music!

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 February 21, 2026

HOUR ONE:

• “No More Lies” – Thundercat & Tame Impala
• “Twisted On A Train” – King Tuff
• “Bein’ Alive” – Melissa Etheridge
• “Indigo Park” – Bruce Hornsby
• “Cry” – Thornetta Davis & Big Chief
  
• “American Obituary” – U2
• “Desire” – U2
• “Stay In Your Lane” – Courtney Barnett
• “The Look Of Love” – Isaac Hayes
• “Hair Down” – Samm Henshaw
• “Tragic Tragedy” – Nick Piunti
  
• “Cowboy Dreams” – Boy Golden w/Cat Clyde
  
• “Ramona” – Beck
  

• “Take Me As I Am” – Dames Brown
• “Belle Isle Drive” – Will Sessions w/Amp Fiddler & Dames Brown
• “In The Middle Of It” – Hiss Golden Messenger
• “Stray Dogs” – Hrishikesh Hirway ft. Iron & Wine
• “Baby’s Behind The Wheel” – Frank Allison & The Odd Sox
• “Song of The Future” – U2
• “Marching On” – The Legal Matters
• “Stay High” – Brittany Howard
• “Another Life” – Alabama Shakes
• “Here” – Mumford & Sons ft. Chris Stapleton
• “Letterman” – Michigander
• “Say It Loud – I’m Black And I’m Proud” – James Brown
• “I’m Black And I’m Proud – Say It Loud” – James Brown, Carl Cox remix
  

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

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

This week on Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music a new album coming next month from Nick Piunti, Detroit rocker and restaurateur. Plus Lucinda Williams’ new album, a prescient 2014 track from YUSUF/Cat Stevens and more.

Also, we celebrate 50 years of David Bowie’s “Station To Station” album at 50, and 70 years of Verve Records!

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 24, 2026

HOUR ONE:

• “To Love Somebody” – Al Green
• “Let’s Take Our Time” – Aaron Fraser & Durand Jones & The Indications
• “Ain’t That A Trip” – The James Hunter 6 ft. Van Morrison
• “Dead End – Snail Mail
• “I Am America” – Jeff Daniels & Thornetta Davis
  
• “Manic Monday” – Prince
• “Taste On My Lips” – Ya Tseen (w/Portugal. The Man and Meshell Ndegeocello)
  
• “Pride II” – Meshell Ndegeocello
• “Tanana” – Portugal. The Man
• “WAP” – The Claypool Lennon Delirium (coming to Meadowbrook 5/31)
• “Against The Dying Of The Light” – Jose Gonzalez
• “Get Back” – Samm Henshaw
• “You get the Feeling” – Squeeze
  
• “Hourglass” – Squeeze
  

• “Fall Moon” – St. Paul & The Broken Bones (coming to St. Andrews 4/29)
  
• “Site Unseen” – Courtney Barnett (coming to The Majestic 5/21)
• “Hold Tight” – Rozzi
• “Who’s That” – Brother Wallace
• “Big In Madrid” – Nick Piunti
• “Golden Years” – David Bowie
  
• “Blueberry Hill” – Louie Armstrong
• “Glory” – Dames Brown ft. Waajeed
  
• “I Was Raised In Babylon” – YUSUF/Cat Stevens
• “Freedom Speaks” – Lucinda Williams
• “Let’s Do It” – Ella Fitzgerald
• “Day By Day” – Samara Joy

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

This week on Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music the happiest of birthday wishes to Dolly Parton who turns 80 on Monday, plus the late Bobby Weir in various musical arrangements, new music from waterbaby, Mitski, Arlo Parks 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 17, 2026

HOUR ONE:

• “2Sided” – Arlo Parks
  
• “Holding On” – Disclosure w/Gregory Porter
  
• “You’ve Got What It Takes” – Ledisi w/Gregory Porter
  
• “For Real” – 
  Eric Hirshberg & Aloe Blacc
• “A Hazy Shade Of Winter” – The Accidentals
  
• “I Can’t Make You Love Me” – Prince
• “Feels Alright” – Spoon
  
• “Sugar Magnolia” – Grateful Dead
  
• “The Algorithm Song” – Jon Spear
  
• “Memory Be A Blade” – waterbaby
• “The Flood” – Ye Vagabons
  
• “When Love Comes To Town” – Slash, Shemekia Copeland, Myles Kennedy, Joe Bonamassa
  

• “Seven Bridges Road” – Dolly Parton
  
• “Wildfowers” – Trio
• “World On Fire” – Dolly Parton
• “Jolene” – Beyonce
• “Smoky Mountain DNA” – Dolly Parton & Family
  
• “9 To 5” – Allison Krauss
  
• “Only A River” – Bob Weir
  
• “Walkin’ Blues” – Bob Weir and Rob Wasserman
  
• “Where’s My Phone” – Mitsky
• “Deeper” – Disclosure w/Leon Thomas
  
• “Heart Inside My Head” – Nick Puinti
  
• “Hell In A Bucket” – Grateful Dead
  

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