SOUND CHECK.

Byline: - Fred Shuster

Various/``Wild, Cool & Swingin' Too''

The 15th volume of Capitol's award-winning Ultra-Lounge series is actually the second installment of the stylish collection's examination of the bright lights of Las Vegas. This edition (the first, ``Wild, Cool & Swingin','' was Vol. 5 of the series) stars such snappy crooners as Eydie Gorme, Steve Lawrence, Bobby Darin, Dinah Washington, Nancy Wilson, Louis Prima, Tony Bennett, Jack Jones, Lena Horne, Mel Torme and, of course, Julie London. Gorme kicks things off with the punchy ``Frenesi,'' Lawrence handles ``Night and Day,'' Darin tackles ``Charade,'' and the party continues for 18 more crazy tracks. Pull up a dry martini and relax. Four Stars

Jessie Mae Hemphill/``She-Wolf''

There aren't many answer songs in the blues canon. One of the few belongs to idiosyncratic Delta blues singer-guitarist Hemphill, who rejoins Howlin' Wolf with her tough-minded ``She-Wolf,'' the title track of her 1981 debut album, now on CD for the first time. The thing that sets the now-retired Hemphill apart, aside from the tambourine she bangs with her foot, is an unusual rhythmic emphasis based on the folk traditions of her rural Mississippi home and some hard-driving guitar riffs. Blending her main influences of Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and Wolf, Jessie Mae comes up with some quirky originals, including the down-and-out ``Standing in My Doorway Crying,'' ``Hard Times'' and the upbeat ``Jessie's Boogie,'' that will appeal mainly to fans of acoustic country blues. Two and One Half Stars

- Fred Shuster

Various/``Chess Blues Guitar: Two Decades of Killer Fretwork 1949-1969''

Here's a nice anthology of the slashing slide, Delta rhythms and moanin'-at-midnight voices that make up the foundation of mighty Chess Records. More than a third of these 45 cuts are new to CD, and 11 tracks have never been issued in the States before. It's a diverse and vital cross section of talent, from Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Elmore James, Howlin' Wolf and Chuck Berry to such lesser-known blues masters as J.B. Lenoir, Johnny Shines and Robert Nighthawk. Among the rarities that make this two-CD set welcome are ``Forty Cups of Coffee'' by Danny Overbea, ``Lucky Lou'' by Jody Williams and ``Old Memories'' by Lafayette Thomas. Three and One Half Stars

- Fred Shuster

Hum/``Downward Is Heavenward''

KROQ kids might recall Hum, the Champaign, Ill., quartet whose evocative album cut ``Stars'' became a left-field radio hit three years ago. The band's follow-up disc (out Jan. 27) has its moments but relies too heavily on the old whisper-to-a-scream grunge formula. To its credit, Hum stretches musically by incorporating unexpected meters on several tracks, but the vocals lack distinction, and few cuts on ``Downward Is Heavenward'' stand out the way ``Stars'' did. Two Stars

Bill Frisell/``Gone, Just Like a Train''

Frisell's follow-up to the well-received avant-country winner ``Nashville'' is a far looser, more rock-oriented affair. Backed simply by Jim Keltner on drums and Viktor Krauss on bass, guitarist Frisell gets plenty of room for lyrical flights of fretboard fancy. Most refreshing are cuts such as the edgy jazz-rocker ``Blues for Los Angeles,'' which recalls Frisell's ECM days, and the lyrical ballad ``Verona.'' Also of note are moody pieces such as ``Sherlock Jr.'' and the warm title track. Guitar lovers will eat this album up. Three Stars

- Fred Shuster

Chris Stills/``100 Year Thing''

There should be a moratorium on albums from rock-star offspring. Who needs a Dylan Jr. or a little Loudon Wainwright III, anyway? Must we face a record from Chris Stills, singing son of Stephen? As expected, ``100 Year Thing'' boasts all the usual timeworn singer-songwriter themes, the doomed love songs, the sighing tired-of-life lyrics, the moody odes to lost schoolmates, each delivered from the cozy viewpoint of a rich American growing up in Paris. Keeping the symmetry perfect, this hippie drippy disc was produced by the son of studio veteran Glyn Johns. Eventually, these mildly gifted sons and daughters of '60s and '70s icons will be forced to find real work. One Star

- Fred Shuster

Various/``The Golden Age of Underground Radio: B. Mitchel Reed''

Known by the nickname the Beemer, the late B. Mitchel Reed was beloved locally as nighttime jock on underground radio KMET in the late '60s and early '70s. This witty, highly enjoyable CD offers a ride back to those heady, innocent times by giving us an hour's worth of uncut Reed on KMET, including music, commercial spots and news. Along with a nicely chosen music mix that features nostalgic radio hits from Spirit, Love, Steppenwolf, Jefferson Airplane and Mark-Almond, you'll get a kick out of groovy spots for the Hip Bagel in Westwood, Jeans West and a Grateful Dead show. The Beemer's delivery is low-key, ultra-smooth, smart and funny; it makes you wish there were more around like him today on the dial. Three Stars

- Fred Shuster

Soundtrack/``Half Baked''

This soundtrack to the new stoner comedy is generally pretty feeble fare despite the presence of Tricky and the Dust Brothers in the production or remix chair for many of the tracks. Following through on the THC-soaked theme, each song contains some allusion, however tenuous, to pot, starting with the Bloodhound Gang's mediocre cover of the Association's 1966 hit, ``Along Comes Mary,'' through ``We Are Dumb'' by Home Grown, apparently a Green Day tribute band. The standouts here are the Specials' ``Farmyard Connection,'' Cowboy Mouth's cover of Steppenwolf's ``The Pusher'' and Tricky's imaginative job with UB40 on ``I Get Lifted.'' Otherwise, you won't even get a contact high from ``Half Baked.'' One and One Half Stars

- Fred Shuster

Floyd Lloyd/``Tear It Up: The Ska Album''

Who's Floyd Lloyd? Your guess is as good as ours, but the singer has come up with a solidly authentic ska effort that draws on some of reggae's biggest studio names. ``Tear It Up'' was recorded in Jamaica, New Orleans and London, apparently with different sets of musicians in each place. While sticking mostly to that upbeat ska rhythm, Lloyd at one point calls upon the New Orleans Jazz Stars to add bouncy horn arrangements rooted in the Big Easy. The juxtaposition works, although the material is often uneven. Meanwhile, outstanding reggae players such as guitarists Ernest Ranglin and Mikey Chung, tenor saxophonist Steve Gregory and drummer Horsemouth Wallace keep the faith. Two Stars

- Fred Shuster

CAPTION(S):

9 Photos

Photo: (1) Hum's latest disc, ``Downward Is Heavenward,'' due out Jan. 27, has its moments but lacks the distinction of its earlier effort.

(2--9) no caption (CD covers)