“Christmas Time Is Here, ” written by Vince Guaraldi and Lee Mendelson for 1965’s A Charlie Brown Christmas has become an artist favorite in more recent decades, an increase I think can be traced back to singers’ annual childhood viewings of the classic TV special.

Vanessa Williams, Sarah McLachlan, Toni Braxton, Ivy, and A Fine Frenzy are among those who’ve unboxed the song for their own holiday collections. And as you might surmise from that sample list, females appear to be particularly fond of “Christmas Time Is Here.”

Well, Jody Watley just tossed her Christmas hat into the ring, with an arrangement that returns “Christmas Time Is Here” to its jazzy roots. I think Guaraldi were around today, he’d offer kudos for this atmospheric version. And while Watley offered a Carpenters medley on her covers LP, The Makeover, stating that Karen Carpenter is “the singer I’ve always aspired to be,” the connection has never been so clear as in her performance of “Christmas Time Is Here.” Hear here:

Free download of Jody Watley – “Christmas Time Is Here” via ReverbNation.