Nat "King" Cole - When I Fall in Love (1989)

Nat King Cole is one of those artists whose name needs no introduction. His voice—smooth, warm, remarkably natural, and instantly recognizable from the very first notes—has long been a part of the history of American popular music. Yet, the familiar image of the great pop vocalist often overshadows the fact that Cole began his career as a jazz pianist and leader of the Nat King Cole Trio. The *When I Fall in Love* release offers a collection of Cole’s quintessential romantic and pop recordings.
The release itself is also noteworthy. It dates back to the early CD era, when many albums were still compiled from existing analog archives, and the final sound quality depended heavily not only on the original master tape but also on the specific mastering process for the CD. *When I Fall in Love* (Top Music) gained a reputation among audiophiles precisely for its pleasing, rich rendering of Cole’s vocals. In one audiophile review, this disc was used specifically to evaluate the quality of a digital source; the author made special mention of the density, smoothness, and richness of Nat King Cole’s voice.