Here’s a guy from Scotland who’s got the dna of a lounge lizard. Paul Rasmussen demonstrates a confident, strong and upbeat voice on this pair of releases that focus on standards made famous by the likes of Sinatra, Darin, Martin and Cole.
That Swing Thing has a dozen 50s & 60s classics, and with a (synthesized?) band with lots of brass, he loosens his Martin collar on a hip “Ain’t That A Kick in the Head” and demonstrates a rich vibrato on a suave “Beyond the Sea.” A deftly Latin tilt gives new breath to “The Way You Look Tonight” and he’s fun and breezy during “Let There Be Love.”
The 6 tuned Singing & Singing has him in a more conventional sounding band, which gives a hip overture before Rasmussen dives in with an optimistic “It Had to Be You.” He punches out the lyrics like Floyd Patterson on “We Are In Love” and gives a right jab on “Mack the Knife” and works well with the classic Billy May chart of “Come Fly With Me.” He sounds so strong and relaxed, all he needs is either more obscure covers or the use of his own pen and he’d really grab your attention, but this is a good start.