Recordings of songs from the late 19th and early 20th century can often suffer from unsuitable arrangements aimed at making them "relevant" to the modern era, or from stuffy performances that treat the songs as sacred relics. There's none of that here: Jonell and Stephen Aron have produced versions that are true to their era, light, deceptively uncomplicated and utterly beguiling. JoNell's voice is perfectly suited to the material and there is a beautiful timelessness about the album. I wasn't too keen on the ragtime instrumentals but they are few and far between. These are imperishable songs well presented.
