SOUND CHECK.

Byline: - Fred Shuster

Hepcat/``Right on Time''

A rare and heartening young band, Hepcat expertly blends ska and golden-age reggae with jarring authenticity and genuine musicianship that shows these guys clearly did their homework. Inspired by the real thing, not the three-chord teeny-bopper ska or techno/hip-hop-driven nonsense that passes for so much of today's Jamaican music, this nine-piece local roots group plays with earthiness and real conviction. When we dropped the needle on the recommended ``Right on Time,'' we instantly thought we'd put on a Max Romeo or Maytals disc by mistake. It's that good. Three Stars

The Lox/``Money, Power & Respect''

We wanted to say something nice about hard-core rap at least once in 18 months, really we did. But we keep coming across mediocre records like this one from the Lox, a New York trio that drew attention for cameos on the hip-hop hits ``We'll Always Love Big Poppa'' and ``It's All About the Benjamins.'' The group's debut album contains all the usual musical and lyrical cliches you've heard a million times with nothing new to add on any level. All the favorite standbys - misogyny, shotguns, brand names and the tireless quest for cash - get trotted out in such one-dimensional cuts as ``Livin' the Life,'' ``The Heist (Part 1)'' and the title track. Incidentally, it's entirely wrong to assume the group's Lox moniker suggests urban youth is embracing Jewish culture for fun, profit and street cred. There won't be any tough-talking rap outfits from Compton or the South Bronx calling themselves Onion Bagels and Cream Cheese. Instead, sadly, Lox is an acronym for Living Off Experience. One and One Half Stars

- Fred Shuster

Paul Butterfield Blues Band/``An Anthology: The Elektra Years''

As fresh and exciting today as when it was created more than 25 years ago, the music of the Butterfield Band is as contemporary as any blues created in the '90s. This long-awaited and intelligently compiled two-CD anthology reveals the late Butterfield, a superb harpist, singer and bandleader, as the American John Mayall, a first-rate talent scout who gave dazzling guitarists Mike Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop an early shot. Personnel changes were common in the Butterfield Band, but the material and musicianship were always tip-top, from early members like Sam Lay, arguably Chicago's greatest shuffle drummer, to guitarist Buzz Feiten and alto saxophonist David Sanborn in the final lineups. This album tells the story from the band's first session in '64 through the fabulous Bloomfield-Bishop years to the great Chicago horn band Butter put together in his last years. Now, if only someone would do a similarly bang-up job with the Little Feat catalog. Four Stars

- Fred Shuster

Dave Myers/``You Can't Do That''

A subtle, low-key vocalist with a wry sense of humor and a nice fat guitar tone, Myers was a member with his late brother Louis of the Aces, a historic Chicago blues outfit that backed many postwar greats, including Little Walter, and did some fine work on its own. During ``You Can't Do That,'' Myers' first solo effort, a top-notch band provides good ensemble work on such highlights as the bouncy opener ``Please Don't Leave Me,'' the soulful ``Elevate Me'' and the crafty ``Love by the Pound.'' In the end, Myers does justice to the Aces' memory. Three Stars

- Fred Shuster

Ray Barretto and New World Spirit/``Contact!''

A longtime veteran of the Latin-jazz wars, New York percussionist Barretto and orchestra deliver swinging examples of exciting jazz/Afro-Latin fusion. The proceedings get off to a tasty start with the uptempo, bop-flavored ``Moss Code,'' penned by New World Spirit's Dizzy-inspired trumpeter Michael Mossman. Next up is a sizzling reading of the Ellington staple ``Caravan,'' followed by the '50s pop tune ``Serenata,'' given a jump start by Barretto's sharp conga work. Other standouts include an impressionistic arrangement of Michel Legrand's ``The Summer Knows'' from the film ``Summer of '42.'' An album of many moods. Three Stars

- Fred Shuster

Fairport Convention/``Who Knows Where the Time Goes?''

The godfathers of British folk-rock, now in their 30th year of existence, are as cocky as ever. The dozen tracks here cover material ranging from Jethro Tull to Motown along with band originals. Fairports founding father Richard Thompson returns to sing a meaty live version of ``Heard It Through the Grapevine,'' cut at the 1995 edition of the Cropredy Festival, which the Fairports host each year. Other memorable moments include the weathered voice of original member Simon Nicol on the witty ``Dangerous,'' while ``Spanish Main'' provides that Fairports mainstay - the dark, rocking epic. The title track, of course, is a reprise of the wistful ballad by late Fairports founder Sandy Denny, first sung on the group's third album in 1969. Three Stars

- Fred Shuster

John Tesh/``Grand Passion''

Here's the real alternative - to conventional insomnia remedies. Place the lush elevator music of John Tesh next to that of Yanni, and you've got a double dose of banal background noise ideal for a nice, long, afternoon nap. In addition to this disc's 11 noodling piano solos, there are two guest vocals from James Ingram and newcomer Dalia, both of whom probably regret the loss of credibility a Tesh cameo automatically entails. Somehow, the Blond Frankenstein's inflated silliness sells hundreds of thousands of copies; just don't listen while operating heavy machinery. One Star

- Fred Shuster

MC5/``Babes in Arms''

This rarities collection from Detroit's proto-punk MC5 has been issued before. No matter, because every generation discovers the hard-rocking avant-rock Five for itself. The 15 tracks here range from the band's 1966 debut single, the Them cover ``I Can Only Give You Everything,'' to the classic ``Kick Out the Jams,'' recorded live at the Grande Ballroom 30 years ago, to one of the group's final 1971 songs, ``Gold.'' This well-put-together testimonial to MC5's raw power sounds even better today. Three Stars

- Fred Shuster

CAPTION(S):

7 Photos

Photo: (1) The nine-piece Hepcat plays ska and reggae with authenticity that other groups lack.

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