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Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays — a festive occasion centered around the primal communion of breaking bread together at the table and giving thanks for blessings bestowed. 

I have so much to be thankful for this year that the turkey would get cold if I took the time to list my blessings out loud at the table. So let me just say that one of the things I’m most thankful for is this amazing, lively, eclectic, engaged, sometimes ornery, often tender, always entertaining local music community and for the chance to write about it every week. Y’all color my world — with hope and love.

Amen and pass the gravy. Here’s what’s up leading into Turkey Day:

Doctor in the house

David Evans walks the walk, talks the walk and plays the music when it comes to roots blues. A renowned scholar of the genre, he has taught its history as an ethnomusicologist at the University of Memphis. Evans is a prolific author who won a Grammy for his liner notes for the CD “Screamin’ and Hollerin’ the Blues: The Worlds of Charley Patton.” The real magic happens when he pulls his guitar out to take listeners on a time-traveling tour of the blues via tunes and tales. Come along for the ride when Evans sits in with Tallahassee’s own antique blues duo Belmont & Jones at 8 p.m. Friday at Blue Tavern, 1206 N. Monroe St. Cover is $5. Evans will also sit in with Walter Belmont for Lost Monday action at 8 p.m. Monday. Cover is $2. Call 850-212-5204.

Mighty irie

Dig into the Rasta man vibration The Disciples of Music and Phoenix Uprising present Reggae Benefits, a fundraiser to benefit Epilepsy Association of The Big Bend, at 8 p.m. Friday at The Junction at Monroe, 2011 S. Monroe St. Cover is $10. Visit www.junctionatmonroe.com.

A Penny for your thoughts

When Wakulla County realtor Penny Lane McKinney passed away in September, it left friends, family and community bereft. The 1985 SAIL High School graduate had touched many lives and made many friends not only through her professional work, but as an animal lover, music lover, photographer and devoted friend. Her musical friends and family will gather to pay tribute to her with an afternoon of tunes from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Ouzts’  Too in Newport on the St. Marks River. The lineup includes her father, Floyd Matthews, as well as Lick My Frog, Pete Sanderson, Kent Rodriguez, Jerry Roberts, Sean Scott, John Kepler, Bill Pandolfi, Brett Wellman, Chris Balding, Glenn Hopkins and more. It’s free. Call 850-925-6448.

Blues blows in

Memphis bluesman John Nemeth is a favorite with local blues fans, who dig his soulful voice and incendiary harmonica playing as well as the high-octane energy he brings to every show. His band The Blue Dreamers — Johnny Rhoades on guitar, Danny Banks on drums, Willie G. Stephens on keyboards and Matthew Wilson on bass — will bring extra oomph to the proceedings at 9 p.m. Saturday at Bradfordville Blues Club, 7152 Moses Lane. Tickets are $25 advance, $30 at the door. Visit www.bradfordvilleblues.com.

Dreamy duo

Singer-songwriter Lis Williamson has the voice of an angel, a heart of gold and a devotion to music that spans genres and eras. She teams up with Jim Quine — brother of Tallahassee musician Jack Quine of Quanta and Thursday Night Music Club — for a night of old-time, bluegrass, jazz and swing, duet singing and more at 8 p.m. Saturday at Blue Tavern, 1206 N. Monroe St. Cover is $10. Call 850-212-5204.

Hot jazz in a cool bar

We are lucky to live in a city bursting at the seams with world-class jazz talent that includes drummer Leon Anderson, head of FSU’s jazz studies program and friend and peer of such legends as the entire Marsalis family. Anderson is a generous mentor to young up-and-coming talents and he’ll bring his latest quartet — Kase Abernathy on sax, Joshua Rivers on piano and Mikailo Kasha on bass —- to the tiki bar stage from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday at Waterworks, 1133 Thomasville Road. Cover is $5. Call 850-224-1887.

What would Buda do?

The man, the myth, the legend — say “Happy Birthday!” to local musician Chris Buda of Lil’ Grizzly Boogie Band and other fine ensembles at the annual Budafest celebration at 8 p.m. Saturday at The Wilbury, 513 W. Gaines St. This year’s festive lineup includes ‘70s soft rock juggernaut Naugahyde Park, scientific rock posse Megalops and funky soul rockers Tuesday Supper Club. Cover is $5 21-plus, $7 under-21. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1147138945487024/.

Drum up your appetite

This year’s Annual Night Before Thanksgiving Show with David Davidson and Jerry Thigpen will welcome a host of musical friends to join the proceedings at 8 p.m. Wednesday at The Junction at Monroe, 2011 S. Monroe St. The two main dudes will be joined by bassist Pete Winter, keyboardist John Babich, vocalist Lucia Fishburne and drummer Walter Kelleher, with master of musical mayhem Bill “Sauce Boss” Wharton waiting in the wings. Admission is $10. Visit www.junctionatmonroe.com. 

And the beat goes on . . .

Brett Wellman & the Stone Cold Blues Band goes acoustic for the evening from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday at Southwood Golf Club, 3750 Grove Park Drive. No cover. Call 850-942-4653. . . . Swoon to the harmonies of Deja Blu from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday at Bumpa’s Local 349, 2738 Capital Circle N.E. No cover. Call 850-999-8652. . . . Three Billy Goats Gruff stamp their hooves from 8 to 11 p.m. Friday at Loyal Order of the Moose Lodge, 1478 Capital Circle N.W. No cover. Call 850-575-4226. . . . The Jerry Thigpen Trio kicks the weekend off at 8 p.m. Friday at Proof Brewing Company, 1320 S. Monroe St. No cover. Call 850-577-0517. . . . Check out some local talent at a showcase featuring Mother Brain, Zoot Cats and Boxcutter at 9:30 p.m. Friday at The Wilbury, 513 W. Gaines St. Cover is $5 21-plus, $7 under-21. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/934302996950552/. . . . Get prepped for Turkey Day with the eclectic, energetic music of The Fried Turkeys at 9:30 p.m. Saturday at Fifth & Thomas, 1122 Thomasville Road. No cover. Visit www.fifthandthomas.com. . . . Grateful Dead tribute band Blue Begonias cooks up some sticky jams at 8 p.m. Saturday at The Junction at Monroe, 2011 S. Monroe St. Tickets are $10 advance general admission, $13 day of show general admission, $16 advance reserved seating. Visit www.junctionatmonroe.com. . . . The Billy Rigsby Band makes it funky at 6 p.m. Saturday at Hurricane Grill & Wings, 6800 Thomasville Road. No cover. Call 850-597-9129. . . . Catch the last Choro Night for the forseeable future with As Saudades at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Blue Tavern, 1206 N. Monroe St. Cover is $2. Call 850-212-5204. . . . Groove Merchants hosts a pre-Thanksgiving Day party at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday at Fifth & Thomas, 1122 Thomasville Road. It’s free. Visit www.fifthandthomas.com. . . . Shake of the tryptophan haze and dance off the calories when The Brown Goose lands at 9 p.m. Thursday at Fire Betty’s Arcade Bar, 1122 Thomasville Road. No cover. Call 850-727-8224.

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