American artist Johnny Mathis released a new Christmas album, Christmas Time Is Here. It consists of ten covers of holiday classics.
The music is Pop and Jazz. The piano throughout the album gives it a cozy, nostalgic vibe. The record starts with a lovely rendition of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.
Some songs originally had fast-paced tempos, but the producers boldly went for a ballad version of temp in this case, such as the piece Merry Christmas, Baby. This version of White Christmas has a Pop/Jazzy take on Bing Crosby’s Christmas classic. The rhythm, although, is similar to the original one. The piano is pleasant and calming. When A Child Is Born has a different sound than the original one but still conveys the feeling of hope and solidarity. Blue Christmas, on this album, has a Jazzy sound combined with some old-fashioned Rock music. The piece May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You is remarkable, especially with the bold presence of the piano. The compositions are a fantastic blend of Classical and Jazzy. The album ends positively with the classic Auld Lang Syne, celebrating the arrival of a new year.
Johnny Mathis’s voice is soft and calming. He reprised a classic from his entitled When A Child Is Born. He honours the song beautifully, adding a new spin on it. He has a heartfelt duet with Kristin Chenoweth in the piece Santa Claus Is Coming to Town. It’s impressive to hear additional text to Christmas classics. For example, White Christmas has a cute intro before singing the famous chorus. It adds a personal touch. Johnny Mathis sings soulfully – he pays a touching homage to the holiday Classics.
