SMALL FACES

Elvis Costello, Bette Midler, Rickie Lee Jones and Tom Waits all have done duets with veteran pop-swing-jazz artist Dan Hicks for his first album in many years, with Brian Setzer as a guest on guitar. The project was put together by Setzer’s manager Dave Kaplan, a longtime Hicks fan who’s been working on the project for three years. It will come out June 27 on Kaplan’s Surfdog Records. . . .

In a twist on the tribute concept, Coolio, MC Eiht and the Dogg Pound’s Dazz Dillinger and Bad Azz have contributed original, specially written tracks to “2 Live and Die: Songs Inspired by the Life and Times of Tupac Shakur.” The album is due in the summer from Cleopatra Records, which has done dozens of more conventional tributes featuring artists doing songs by acts ranging from Madonna to Metallica. . . .

Polly Jean Harvey is starting work on her first album since 1998’s “Is This Desire?” She’s collaborating with Mick Harvey (no relation) of Nick Cave’s Bad Seeds and original PJ Harvey drummer Rob Ellis. The album is expected for a late-2000 release. . . .

Beverly Hills-based Vista U.S.A., a free weekly magazine covering Spanish-language music and other entertainment, has scored a deal for national distribution through Tower Records, and will be available in all 97 stores. It’s already in many Wherehouse stores.