8 buzzworthy concerts coming to Charlotte in the next week

The jazz sax player released the first of his Gospel According to Jazz series 20 years ago. For the seventh annual Gospel Jazz Christmas tour, he’s recruited drum legend Sheila E., his brother and frequent Gospel According To... collaborator Kevin Whalum, gospel/R&B vocalist John Stoddart, and versatile veteran backing singer Lynn Mabry.

The New Familiars have been paying tribute to the legendary drummer/vocalist since his death in 2012. The Charlotte group devised an all-star concert in the spirit of the Band’s Last Waltz to honor Helm, for whom they opened in 2010. Former Band of Horses’ guitarist Tyler Ramsey, blues legend Bob Margolin, and others join in on the fun.

The prolific looping guitar virtuoso is no stranger to shifting stylistic gears and chasing his muse. This Thanksgiving it’s led him to pay posthumous tribute to Tom Petty while putting a new spin on Petty’s classics with the help of bluegrass quintet the HillBenders.

The weekly dance party that ruled Plaza Midwood for a decade returns for one night with Brooklyn vocalist/trombonist Smoota’s sexually charged funk and lounge. When he’s not writing and performing steamy tracks of his own he’s the go-to touring trombonist with TV on the Radio, Sufjan Stevens, and Spoon.

Little more than a week after premiering, “Martina’s Table” — her new Food Network series — one of the biggest country stars of the last 25 years brings her Joy of Christmas Tour to town. The tour comes a month after the release of her swinging new Christmas record “It’s the Holiday Season,” and cookbook “Martina’s Kitchen Mix.”

Following his 2017 return to recording, “Wide Open” – his first new album in 17 years – the five-time Grammy winner compiles his favorite holiday recordings for the “Season of Peace” which he’ll revisit on the current Season of Peace Holiday & Hits Tour.

The award winning Southern literary magazine’s annual music issue focuses on the sounds of North Carolina from John Coltrane to Jodeci. NC artists Tift Merritt, Chocala, Phil Cook, David Childers, Lina Maria Ferriera Cabeza-Vanegas, Benji Hughes, Bill Noonan and Thomas Rhyant gather for A Statewide Singing Circle to celebrate.

The Charleston band released a group of stripped down songs that were recorded for its online series, “Susto Stories” and now frontman Justin Osborne embarks on a solo tour in that vein. He’ll play two shows Thursday. The first of which is already sold out. Tickets remain for the late show.