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Sound Check: Janet, Michael, More:

ACTION JACKSONS: Though her brother's album was making headlines much earlier, Janet Jackson's next album, tentatively titled All for You, will easily beat Michael's long-awaited effort to the stores. Virgin Records says it's due April 24, with a single of the same name hitting radio this month. Michael's album, meanwhile, has been pushed back from its June release, and both Santana and Prince have been named as possible guests on songs.

AS SEEN ON TV: Destiny's Child previewed the upcoming single "Survivor" — which singer Beyoncé Knowles said is inspired by the show of the same name — in a performance Wednesday night at the Soul Train Awards. The performance will be televised in syndication Saturday night. The album of the same name, meanwhile, is set to come out May 1.

O COME ALL YE: Folky singer-songwriter Marianne Faithfull is drawing on big-name support for an upcoming album, according to British music mag NME. Former head Pumpkin Billy Corgan, who will perform with her at a March charity gig, is said to be working with her, as is Beck and former Eurythmic Dave Stewart.

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PUFFY: Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs teamed with spiritual advisor Hezekiah Walker to record Thank You, a gospel LP that includes guest appearances from Carl Thomas, Mario Winans, Brian McKnight, Mary Mary, Kelly Price, and Brandy. The 15-track album is due June 5 from Bad Boy and Arista Records.

BACK IN BLACK: Country legend Johnny Cash, recently hospitalized with a recurring health problem, was released Feb. 21, the same day he won a Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. He plans a quick return to the studio, according to a note from his daughter on johnnycash.com, to record a follow-up to American III: Solitary Man.

LOWDOWN ON HI-TEK: DJ Hi-Tek, who teamed with Black Star rapper Talib Kweli on last year's Reflection Eternal will release his solo debut, Hiteknology on April 17, according to Rawkus Records.

NOT QUITE NEW: A trio of albums, originally recorded in the '70s, from German eletro-rock duo Neu! will be released Stateside for the first time on May 1 through Astralwerks Records. A self-titled album, Neu! 2, and Neu! 75 are considered groundbreaking for their use of electronic instrumentation in rock.

BACK TO THE BAKERY: Quirky pop-rock act Cake, while continuing to vend T-shirts on its Web site, has also been working in a studio doing other band-related work: recording an album. The still-untitled set is tentatively due in June from Columbia Records.

FOO FOR THOUGHT: While frontman Dave Grohl continues work on death metal side project Probot (as previously Sound Checked), he's invited his band mates in the Foo Fighters to his house for more than pizza and beer. This spring the group will spend time at his home studio in Virginia, according to MTV, recording songs for a follow-up to the Grammy-winning There Is Nothing Left to Lose, aiming for a release late in the year or early next year.

COOL AS A BLOWTORCH: Female hard rock quartet Betty Blowtorch gets an assist from onetime rap superstar Vanilla Ice on the groups upcoming debut, Are You Man Enough? The punk-metal album, helmed by Monster Magnet producer Matt Hyde, is due May 15 on WEA-distributed Foodchain Records.

BALLARD'S BLISS: Alanis Morissette producer Glen Ballard, who made headlines recently for redirecting the sound of the Dave Matthews Band, also recently put together the debut album from Detroit rock act Bliss 66. Trip to the 13th is due out May 29 from Epic Records, with first single "Sooner or Later" hitting radio earlier that month.

POWERMAN'S PICKS: Halfcocked, the first signing to Powerman 5000 label Megatronic (a DreamWorks Records imprint), will release The Last Star June 12. The Boston-based hard rock act has previously released Sell Out and Occupation: Rock Star.

THEY DID: Los Angeles-based acoustic duo The Red recorded its first album, Let's Not and Say We Did, which will be released April 10 through Ozone Recording Company. Guitarist Marco Aiello and upright bassist Victor Langhaar both take vocal parts on the 14 song collection of folky rock songs.

Rock Stars, Politicians Make Pre-Grammy Rounds:

LOS ANGELES — Jesse Jackson sure gets around. A short time after receiving an award at the Rock the Vote event Tuesday night at the House of Blues in Hollywood where the Foo Fighters, Black Eyed Peas, and Jill Scott performed, Jackson arrived at the Tony Beverly Hills Hotel for Clive Davis' exclusive pre-Grammy party featuring Wyclef Jean, Dido, Joe, Stevie Wonder, Angie Stone, Gladys Knight, and Luther Vandross.

The parties were just two of the star-studded events around Los Angeles, as the city buzzes with the arrival of musicians and label executives for tonight's 43rd Annual Grammy Awards.

At Rock the Vote, Jackson was given a Patrick Lippert Award in recognition of his registering more voters than any individual in America. He gave a short but moving speech, leading the rock audience in a chant of "keep hope alive." Also honored at the event were MTV executive Judy McGrath, Carlos Santana, and Mary J. Blige.

Santana and Blige also made it over to Davis' annual exclusive soiree. Other musical luminaries were there: 'N Sync (whose members went relatively unnoticed for a change), Matchbox Twenty's Rob Thomas, Eve, Boyz II Men, Gloria Estefan, Annie Lennox, Babyface, O-Town, R.L. of Next, and Brad Paisley.

Davis typically uses this gala to showcase the artists on his label, which had been Arista for the past 25 years. But last year, after a forced retirement because of an age policy at parent company Bertelsmann, he started J Records.

Newcomer Alicia Keys impressed with a bluesy gospel voice in her one-song cameo. Vandross, J's established star, was predictably suave and soulful on his three hits.

Other friends of Davis also performed, to fill out the offerings from his fledgling label. Knight sparkled on "Neither One of Us," with Stone joining in. Dido performed "Thank You," accompanied only by an acoustic guitarist, and Joe crooned "I Wanna Know." Jean took the mic for a spontaneous freestyle rap about who was in the house.

Wonder closed the two-hour show with a short, rambling set that ended with him showcasing a new song for Vandross, who, by the third chorus, was singing along.

John Painting, Foo Fighter Drums Auctioned:

CENTURY CITY, Calif. — Where did the Grammy folks turn to help raise money to build Encore Hall, a 150-room seniors home for musicians? Not to the superstar musicians but to their fans, by way of QVC and eBay.

For the first time, MusiCares, the Grammy charity wing founded in 1989, auctioned collectibles to people not in attendance at its annual black-tie charity gala, held Monday at the Century Plaza Hotel.

Through auction Web site EBay, a Foo Fighters drum set was up for grabs, as well as an original Elton John watercolor painting, an autographed Britney Spears CD, and autographed Ray Charles sunglasses, among other items. Bids are being accepted until 5 p.m. PST today.

Michael McKean, of Spinal Tap fame, interviewed stars on QVC yesterday, where other items were for sale. He told Peter Frampton that his own Spinal wig, also on the block, was modeled after Frampton's famous '70s 'do.

Matchbox Twenty's Rob Thomas figured this was "the only way I'd get on QVC. It was cool," he said.

Those at the gala had an opportunity to check out a pale green leather outfit that Sisqo wore in concert (no thongs, however) and some black pants that Peter Gabriel performed in.

The offerings included harmonicas autographed by John Popper, Bruce Willis, Kim Wilson, and James Harmon. The bidding for the signed Dave Matthews guitar was competitive — though guitars signed by Devo, B.B King, Neil Diamond, Melissa Etheridge, and Eddie Van Halen made less of a sensation.

Two different posters for The Graduate signed by Paul Simon were up for grabs, as well as handwritten lyrics by Diane Warren ("How Do I Live"), Annie Lennox (Sweet Dreams), and Pete Townshend (Tommy).

Why were high-heels worn by former country star K.T. Oslin valued at $500 while Dwight Yoakam's autographed cowboy boots, with the leather peeling on the toes, were listed at $400? Value, apparently, is in the eye of the collector.

Among the priciest items for auction were a baby grand piano ($17,500), a Ford Escape XLS ($20,150), a gold and diamond bracelet ($12,500), and a five-night trip to Rio ($14,438).

MusiCares officials hoped to raise $500,000 from the auction. They plan to break ground in Hollywood in three months for Encore Hall, for all those oldies but goodies who need a place to live with dignity.

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Page Updated Thu Apr 19, 2001 1:28pm EDT