Who will be the next big singer in the jazz world?
With the recent loss of Rosemary Clooney (who didn’t really sing in the jazz vernacular) and earlier deaths of Ella Fitzgerald and the incomparable Sarah Vaughan, an argument has been rising among critics as well as the average jazz fan. Nominees for wearing the crown have been plentiful. If you permit, let me offer a “new” candidate, the wonder-filled entertainment found in the voice of Carla Cook. Granted, she’s not one of the names bandied about these days. But based on the evidence of her third release, “Simply Natural” (MaxJazz Records), she should be a candidate. As the CD demonstrates, Cook joins the company that includes Jill Scott and India Arie, performing in a combination of jazz, funk, r&b, topped with a pop sensibility. To reach the masses, that pop element is important, as both Ella and Sarah demonstrated time and time again. Cook’s new album shows how she has quickly become a singer with a load of talent and an easy way with a song that makes her both exciting and welcom
