What Are Your Reference Discs? or Specific Reference Tracks

Man this went into the weeds fast. I really believe the purpose of this post was stated in the first sentence
Looking for new gems!

Lyle Lovett North Dakota from Joshua Judges Ruth is one of my go to songs used for COMPARISONS. as in developing a baseline of preference. I use it because:

I’m familiar with it
Excellently engineered
Amazing piano entry that just floats on the sound stage
Sharp percussive attacks to assist in evaluating dynamics and snap
The duet with Rickie Lee Jones for vocals
... and a great song

It’s a diamond of a song

I would have to rate this one an amethyst.

Sidsel Endresen & Bugge Wesseltoft  Out Here. In There.

First to admit that this isn't an album for everyone or probably a lot less than that but as much as I liked it previously the new stereo has elevated this to the top of my favorites group.

Sidsel Endresen is recorded without reverb or special effects so her voice sounds like a voice and it's pure and true.  There is a track where she does things with that voice that previously was just a little too weird so I would usually just skip that track. Now nothing but jaw dropping amazing.

This album has bass. Low room shaking bass and chess thumping bass.
Bugge Wesseltoft is into unusual sounding percussion that attacks from everywhere with a piano that just ties it all together,

This album is so unusual because there are great accessible tracks that most people could enjoy but Bugge is into new conceptions' of jazz which takes the soundscape to new places that are so much more enjoyable with quality sound.

Unfortunately I doubt if this album will ever be a white hot stamper but for me I'd probably buy it and have to invest in a turntable just to see what it could do.