CARLA COOK has been at the recent forefront of a musical style that Jill Scott and India Arie among others are now gaining recognition for: a smooth yet funky blend of R&B with a pop sensibility. Cook showcased this approach on her debut CD It's All About Love (MXJ 106) which featured Marvin Gaye's Inner City Blues and Neil Young's Heart Of Gold. She did it again on her 2nd CD, Dem Bones (MXJ 111), with an unforgettable version of Bobby Gentry's Ode To Billie Joe. Now she turns to Simon & Garfunkel's Scarborough Fair and again impresses with her ability to find and mine a song's essence, whether it's considered jazz or not. While she won her GRAMMY nomination in the jazz vocal category, Cook cansing anything anyway and is not one to stand for any kind of musical classification. She's Simply Natural. With CYRUS CHESTNUT (piano, Fender Rhides), BRUCE BARTH (piano), KENNY DAVIS (bass), BILLY KILSON (drums), STEVE KROON (percussion).