Arts and entertainment reports from The Times, national and international news services and the nation’s press.

POP/ROCK

On the Music Trail: The next edition of “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon,” the much-hyped book linking the actor with others in his profession through various movie roles, just might draw connections between Bacon and rock musicians. That’s because Bacon and his older brother are hitting the road with their musical collaboration, the Bacon Brothers Band. Among their upcoming dates are a Feb. 17 concert at West Hollywood’s Troubadour, a stint on NBC’s “Tonight Show” the same evening and an appearance Feb. 16 at Elizabeth Taylor’s much-trumpeted 65th birthday party at the Pantages Theatre, which will be televised on ABC later in the month. A spokeswoman for Bacon said he and brother Michael--who won an Emmy in 1993 for scoring the documentary “The Kennedys” and has written songs recorded by the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis, Carlene Carter and Perry Como--is “very, very serious” about a musical career and is currently “in search of” an album recording deal. Both Bacons sing and play lead guitar, accompanied by other backup musicians, and their music is described as a blend of folk, rock, soul and country.

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‘Evita’ Closing In: No Doubt’s “Tragic Kingdom” continues to dominate the national album sales race, but its lead over the “Evita” soundtrack is narrowing. Where No Doubt outsold “Evita” by almost 40,000 copies two weeks ago, the margin was cut in half last week as “Tragic Kingdom” sold approximately 144,000 copies, versus 122,000 for the soundtrack, according to SoundScan.

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Selena Retrial Denied: A Corpus Christi judge has denied tejano singer Selena’s convicted killer a new trial. Yolanda Saldivar had claimed that she could not mount an effective appeal and therefore should win a new trial because some records related to the case had been lost by the court. However, the judge ruled that the missing records--which had been subpoenaed from the singer’s father during the appeals process--were never admitted into evidence and had no effect on the trial’s outcome. Saldivar, the former head of Selena’s fan club, was convicted of fatally shooting the singer outside a Corpus Christi motel on March 31, 1995.

TELEVISION

They’ve Got His Frequency: CBS anchorman Dan Rather said on the air that he has identified to police the man he says beat him up on the street in 1986 while demanding to know “Kenneth, what is the frequency?” The assailant, Rather alleged Wednesday, was William Tager, now serving a 25-year prison sentence for killing an NBC stagehand outside the “Today” show in 1994. In a separate news account, the psychiatrist who examined Tager after the NBC shooting said that Tager was convinced the media had him under surveillance and were beaming hostile messages to him. That psychiatrist, Dr. Park Dietz, told Rather that Tager was almost certainly his attacker, and Rather said he subsequently identified Tager from photographs. It is still unclear why Rather’s attacker called him Kenneth, but his demands to know what the “frequency” was became a lasting cultural reference in a later hit song, “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth,” recorded by R.E.M.

CLASSICAL MUSIC

Financial Woes, North and South: The bankrupt San Diego Symphony may rise again. On Monday, Chief Bankruptcy Judge Louise Adler approved conversion of the orchestra’s Chapter 7 liquidation bankruptcy to a Chapter 11 reorganization. Adler’s action reportedly stops any sale of the symphony’s assets and makes it possible for the orchestra’s musicians to pursue a plan to resume playing--perhaps in the 1997-98 season. The players’ plan depends on a promised donation of $2 million from La Jolla entrepreneur Larry Robinson and on further fund-raising. Speaking for the players, San Diego attorney Theodore Graham told the San Diego Union-Tribune that the reorganization is now “in progress, but it will be a community effort” of musicians, donors, a new symphony board and the old symphony board. . . . To the north, meanwhile, striking San Francisco Symphony musicians have rejected their latest contract offer, prompting the cancellation of all symphony concerts through Sunday. No new talks were scheduled, and a symphony spokeswoman said that “we don’t expect to make a better offer.” More than 40 concerts have now been canceled since the strike began Dec. 5.

MOVIES

What Company They Keep: Filmmakers Allen and Albert Hughes (“Menace II Society,” “Dead Presidents”) are taking on “the world’s oldest profession” with “American Pimp,” a feature documentary about the men behind prostitution trade. The brothers, who have vowed to interview pimps from “every major city” in the country before the project wraps, are halfway through principal photography, and have targeted the film’s release for August, pending a studio distribution deal. Interscope Records will release the film’s soundtrack, to be produced by Dr. Dre.

QUICK TAKES

Soul queen Aretha Franklin and funkmaster George Clinton will be inducted into the NAACP Image Awards’ Hall of Fame during the 28th annual Image Awards on Feb. 8 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. Among other honorees announced Wednesday: Denzel Washington (entertainer of the year) and Bryant Gumbel (president’s award). . . . NBC’s “ER” has a new doctor on call. Jami Gertz (“Twister”) has landed a recurring role as psychiatrist Nina Pomerantz. . . . Former “Law & Order” star Michael Moriarty will join the cast of Dan Aykroyd’s syndicated dramatic anthology series “Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal,” which is seen locally on KCBS-TV Channel 2. Moriarty starts production in May. . . . Officials said Wednesday that today or Friday is expected to be the final day for the adult contemporary format at radio station KSCA-FM (101.9), which is to become a Spanish-language station.