For entire albums:
Mo Better Blues
Excellent performances well recorded. Terence Blanchard on trumpet, Branford Marsalis on sax, Kenny Kirkland on piano, and Jeff "Tain" Watts on drums will test the fidelity of your speakers.
Holly Cole Trio: Don't Smoke in Bed
This one's recorded a little hot, so Holly's "s" es will be a little sibilant, but is otherwise a good recording that is very challenging to speakers and headphones. David Piltch uses an upright bass that reveals flaws with a speaker's bass articulation and musicality with each pluck of the string. I Can See Clearly Now, So and So, Tennessee Waltz, and Everyday will be like a Holiday showcase Piltch on bass.
McGill Swing Band: Late Late Show
You won't believe how well these guys perform for a university band. McGill University has probably the finest music program in Canada, and it shows. They also have a state of the art recording studio and concert hall. This is a treasure trove of popular jazz standards all collected on one CD -- and it's well recorded to boot. Listen to the silky lead trumpet spotlight stage center-right and the subtle piano chords stage left that should extend well in front of and to the left of the left speaker on "Georgia on my Mind". Melody Diachun's vocals and brass get a little tizzy and go into compression on "God Bless the Child", and the speakers should reveal that recording flaw. Densil Pinnock's vocals are a little thin, flat, and recessed on "Late Late Show", but a nice EL34 tube amp should give it that little extra body and air that it needs.
Bob James and Earl Klugh: Cool
While Bob James' electronic keyboard might not be considered as worthy of evaluating audio components compared to acoustic instruments and vocals, Earl Klugh's nylon stringed guitar has that unmistakable blend of attack and sweet tone that will test any speaker. In general, a well-recorded CD that a hi-fi store salesman actually introduced me to for evaluating speakers. And I liked it enough to buy a copy for my component evaluation kit.
Time 100: Music of Our Lives 1960-1980
This CD has many of the individual songs listed below. But more than that, it's just a nice collection of good music.
Individual songs:
Paul Simon: 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover
Steve Gadd's drumming is excellent and the recording is too. It's very difficult to reproduce the drum hits with just the right amount of resonance, harmonics, snap, and weight. If Steve's drums don't sound right, I don't buy.
Josh Groban Live in Concert: Vincent (Starry Starry Night)
Great pure recording of Josh Groban's vocals that will reveal a system's midrange purity and air. I use this song to evaluate the airiness of tubes for my amp. Josh's vocals should have an enveloping air and just the right texture that tube amplification brings out quite nicely. Plucked strings will also test the speed and resolution.
Lou Reed: Walk on the Wild Side
Just like everybody knows the drum line to "50 Ways", everybody knows the bass line to "Walk on the Wild Side". And what a great bass part Mick Ronson arranged for Lou Reed. Herbie Flowers' bass and Lou Reed's vocals will test a speaker's bass and midrange capabilities.
James Taylor: Fire and Rain
The drums are very dramatic on this song. They'd better come through that way on your speakers with the proper weight and snap.
Boz Scaggs: Lowdown
Punchy bass and nice cymbals. Good for testing the treble qualities of the speakers.
