Ann Delisi’s “Essential Conversations” Podcast: Complete Season 1 Now Available
Ann Delisi explores the creative spirit with eight artists
The complete first season of Ann Delisi’s Essential Conversations podcast is now available via WDET.org, iTunes, and Stitcher. The podcast features WDET Music Host Ann Delisi exploring the creative spirit of local and national artists.
In each episode, Delisi sits down with a notable professional in the fields of music, news, and the arts for insightful conversations that explore their work and inspiration. “Essential Conversations allows me to share the intimacy of my one-on-one conversations with listeners, exploring the artist’s life, their work, and what drives their creative spirit,” Delisi says. The interviews are packed with never-before-told anecdotes from household names like Blue Note president, producer, and musician Don Was; Motown legend Barrett Strong; humorist Mo Rocca, MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer; and former Chief Official White House Photographer Pete Souza.
“Ann Delisi is the best interviewer I’ve ever encountered,” Don Was exclaimed, “She has a profound insight into the creative process and asks smart questions that inspire her subjects to give meaningful answers. Artists always look forward to speaking with her, and listeners relish the exquisite quality of her work.”
Essential Conversations is part of a year-long initiative that also includes on-air features and live events. Another eight-episode season of Essential Conversations will be released later this year. The first group includes conversations with Rocca, Kramer, Souza and jazz musicians Esperanza Spalding, Teri Lyne Carrington, Don Was, Music Legend Barrett Strong, music producer Denaun Porter, and songwriter Allee Willis.
The launch of the podcast series coincides with the 10th anniversary of Ann Delisi’s Essential Music, which airs Saturdays and Sundays at 11 a.m. on WDET.
Between radio and TV, Delisi has been on the air for three decades. She started as an intern at WDET while attending Wayne State University. Subsequently, she produced and hosted programs on multiple radio stations in Detroit including adult alternative 93.9 FM The River, alternative rock station WPLT, WJR-AM, and classical station WRCJ 90.9 FM. She hosted the Emmy award-winning Backstage Pass, a program on Detroit Public Television, for five years in the 1990s. She also worked as the head of video production for Kingberry Productions. Delisi returned to WDET in February 2009.
