Johanna Jones breaks into the world of Christmas music with a delightful mini album. “It’s Christmastime” contains five well produced and written tracks. Four of these songs are originals with one cover. Opening the mini-album is the song “It’s Christmastime,” which immediately gave me the same feelings of comfort and warmth as listening to The Carpeterner”s “Christmas Portrait.” The next song, “Follow That Star,” starts as a type of march toward the nativity ending with a beautiful gospel choir arrangement marking the birth of Christ. It was a fantastic decision by Jones to include a cover song that has, unfortunately, became a forgotten Christmas song. “Little Snow Girl” by John Gary from his 1963 Christmas album “The John Gary Christmas Album” is an album and song that I was utterly unfamiliar with. This is a song from Jones’s childhood and has kept a special place in her Christmas memories. She paid a tremendous honor to John Gray’s song by including it in her record. A heartfelt, emotional story is told in “Warm and Safe (Mary’s Lullaby).” Johanna ends her mini album with a pop song telling the jolly old elf that he’s not doing his job right. “Santa You Screwed Up” is a great pop song with great horns and an easy to sing-along melody.
“It’s Christmastime” has me looking forward to more music from Johanna Jones. It is a daunting task to put out original Christmas music, so many understandably stick with the standards and classics; however, Jones’s offerings fit nicely into any playlist. They are songs that feel like they’ve always have been a part of Christmas. “It’s Christmastime” is a timeless musical journey through Christmas.