4 Thanksgiving Playlists!!! Yay!!!

Thanksgiving 2024

This morning I rolled over in bed and whispered to Simon, “I smell Thanksgiving… do you smell that?” Like Lorelei Gilmore who can sniff out snow from miles away, I have the unique gift of being able to sniff out a stuffed turkey roasting three neighborhoods away.

I love Thanksgiving dinner. It’s my favorite meal. I love the sagey, brothy, whipped, stuffed and roasted magic of it all. I don’t like the running to the store a thousand times or the long lines at the grocery store or playing round after round of fridge-freezer Tetris, but I will suffer the lows for the high I get from just the scent of things bubbling and rising and baking and steaming and glistening (oh the freakin’ glistening) that captivates every being that crosses our threshold.  

I want you to have the most dynamic Thanksgiving this year. I know you might not feel like celebrating but if there was ever a time to pause and ask each other, “What are you most thankful for this year?” - it’s this year when the whole of the world seems upside down and none of us knows what is waiting for us in the new year. 

To help you find joy, I created three Thanksgiving playlists on Spotify. Each offers its own vibe but all of them are perfect for merrymaking. Click on the descriptions for the links. If you don’t have a Spotify account, I listed the songs below so you can recreate any or all of them on a music streaming platform of your choice. 

I hope you find a reason to be moved with joy. I hope you don’t bother breaking bread with people who don’t uplift and appreciate your humanity 😉. I hope you forego obligatory traditions and opt for more authentic ones that make you feel seen and beloved. I hope you choose nurture over nonsense 🙃.

Happy Thanksgiving. 

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These Songs Are Great for Multi-tasking ie. Chopping and Mincing and Dicing and Dancing Around the Kitchen… Grab Your Pots and Pans and Get On Down… 

1. Boogie Oogie Oogie - A Taste of Honey

2. Ring My Bell - Anita Ward

3. Got To Be Real - Cheryl Lynn

4. Good Times - CHIC

5. We Are Family - Sister Sledge

6. Boogie Nights - Heatwave

7. I’m Coming Out - Diana Ross

8. Last Dance - Donna Summer

9. Night Fever - Bee Gees

10. Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel - Tavares

11. September - Earth, Wind & Fire

12. Boogie Shoes - KC & The Sunshine Band 

13. Let’s Groove - Earth, Wind & Fire

14. Shake Your Groove Thing - Peaches & Herb 

15. Best of My Love - The Emotions

16. You Should Be Dancing - Bee Gees

17. On The Radio - Donna Summer

18. Boogie Wonderland - Earth, Wind & Fire & The Emotions 

19. I Want Your Love - CHIC

20. Jungle Boogie - Kool & The Gang 

21. Everybody Dance - CHIC 

22. You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) - Sylvester

23. Dancing Queen - ABBA 

24. I Feel Love - Donna Summer 

25. Shining Star - Earth, Wind & Fire

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These Songs Are Perfect for Greeting Guests, Taking Coats,
Pouring Drinks — Setting the Mood…

1. If I Could Give You More - Harry Connick Jr. 

2. Under a Blanket of Blue - Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong

3. That Old Feeling - Chet Baker

4. My Baby Just Care for Me - Nina Simone

5. Doop-Doo-De—Doop (A Doodling Song) - Blossom Dearie

6. Easy Living - Billie Holiday

7. Autumn Leaves - Nat King Cole

8. How Deep Is The Ocean - Diana Krall 

9. That Old Feeling - Mel Tormé 

10. Swinging On a Star - Bing Crosby & the Charioteers 

11. Ain’t Misbehavin’ - Fats Waller

12. Someone To Watch Over Me - Blossom Dearie

13. The Frim Fram Sauce - Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong

14. I Got You Under My Skin - Frank Sinatra

15. You’re The Top - Ella Fitzgerald

16. All That Meat & No Potatoes - Fats Waller 

17. Four Or Five Times - Jimmie Lunceford & His Orchestra

18. A Kiss To Build a Dream On - Louis Armstrong

19. Pennies From Heaven - Louis Prima

20. All Or Nothing At All - Diana Krall 

21. Too Marvelous For Words - Ella Fitzgerald & Nelson Riddle 

22. Little Girl Blue - Nina Simone

23. Love Is Here Stay - Blossom Dearie 

24. Destination Moon - Dinah Washington 

25. Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off - Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong

26. Night And Day - Frank Sinatra 

27. I Fall In Love Too Easily - Chet Baker

28. We Are In Love - Harry Connick Jr. 

29. Stardust - Nat King Cole

30. I Wish You Love - Natalie Cole 

31. I Could Write A Book - Dinah Washington 

32. Two Sleepy People - Fats Waller 

33. Mood Indigo - Nina Simone

34. ‘Deed I Do - Blossom Dearie 

35. Can’t Get Out Of This Mood - Samara Joy 

36. I Get Along Without You Very Well - Nina Simone

37. Let’s Get Lost - Chet Baker

38. ’S Wonderful - Ella Fitzgerald

39. Just One of Those Things - Jo Stafford 

40. Lush Life - Natalie Cole

41. Good Morning Heartache - Diana Ross

42. I Won’t Dance - Blossom Dearie

43. Knock Me A Kiss - Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five 

44. Potato Chips - Slim Gaillard

45. You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To - Dinah Shore 

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For Cleaning Up the Dishing, Chilling and…
Gently Telling Your Guests “It’s Time to Go Home”

1. Peace Behind the Bridge - Carolina Chocolate Drops 

2. You Never Need Nobody - The Lone Bellow

3. Winter Birds - Ray LaMontagne

4. River - Leon Bridges

5. Rest of My Life - Nickel Creek 

6. Wagon Wheel - Old Crow Medicine Show

7. Down In The Valley - The Head And The Heart

8. BLACKBIIRD - Beyoncé

9. Home Again - Michael Kiwanuka 

10. I Am King - Ray Hodge

11. But There’s Still The Moon - Tasha

12. Have Mercy - Eryn Allen Kane

13. Skinny Love - Bon Iver

14. Selah - Ms. Lauryn Hill

15. Hold On - Alabama Shakes

16. Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve (Midnights 3am) - Taylor Swift (See? I told you I loved her) 

17. Grand Canyon - The Wind and The Wave 

18. Let The Light In (Feat. Father John Misty) - Lana Del Rey 

19. The Joke - Brandi Carlile

20. Joanne - Lady Gaga

21. I Was Young When I Left Home - Lucas James McCain 

22. Nancy From Now On - Father John Misty 

23. Set Out Running - Neko Case

24. In the Gloaming - The Story

25. I Love You, I Do - Maggie Koerner 

26. no fun/party - Kara Jackson  

27. Share The Moon - Indigo Girls 

28. Tomorrow - Shakey Graves 

29. I Wish I Was the Moon - Neko Case 

30. 16 CARRIAGES - Beyoncé

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If Spades Are as Welcomed at the Table as a Plate of Chitlins with Hot Sauce,
I got you—here you go…

1. Before I Let You Go - Maze with Frankie Beverly 

2. All I Do - Stevie Wonder

3. Voyage To. Atlantis - The Isley Brothers

4. Make It Last Forever - Keith Sweat

5. Every Little Step - Bobby Brown 

6. I Like It - DeBarge

7. This Is How We Do It - Montell Jordan 

8. I Wanna Be Down - Brandy

9. Feels Good - Tony! Toni! Toné! 

10. Nite and Day - Al B. Sure

11. Whip Appeal - Babyface

12. Groove Me - Guy 

13. There’ll Never Be - Switch

14. Got To Give It Up, Pt. 1 - Marvin Gaye

15. Love and Happiness - Al Green

16. Poison - Bell Biv DeVoe

17. Sweet Thing - Rufus & Chaka Khan

18. Be Happy - Mary J. Blige

19. Candy - Cameo

20. Dance Tonight - Lucy Pearl 

21. This Woman’s Work - Maxwell

22. I’m So Into You - SWV

23. Yearning For Your Love - The Gap Band 

24. Untitled (How Does It Feel) - D’Angelou 

25. Free - Deniece Williams 

26. That Girl - Stevie Wonder 

27. I’m Going Down - Rose Royce 

28. U Don’t Have To Call - USHER

29. Can We Talk - Tevin Campbell

30. If Only You Knew - Patti LaBelle

31. Pony - Ginuwine 

32. Butterflies - Floetry

33. Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg - TLC

34. Exhale (Shoop Shoop) - Whitney Houston 

35. Lifetime - Maxwell

36. One Sweet Day - Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men

37. Tyrone - Erykah Badu

38. Doo Wop (That Thing) - Ms. Lauryn Hill

39. Fu-Gee-La - Fugees

40. Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat) - Digable Planets 

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