MUSIC

Uptown in the Park is presenting a most amazing festival of soul this Sunday over at White Stadium in Boston's Franklin Park. Sly and the Family Stone are headlining these proceedings, but that's just the beginning. Along with Sly you get a dose of a solid Tower of Power, a taste of the superb jazz of Donald Byrd, a handful of easy rhythms from the Hues Corporation ("Don't Rock the Boat"), and some of Richard Pryor's street-wise comedy. Boston hasn't done anything to deserve such a treat, but don't look this gift horse in the mouth. Sly's music is well enough known, but until you've seen him in person you can't begin to imagine how good he is. The man invented magnetism. Jazz enthusiasts should take special note of Byrd, playing with his Blackbyrds. Byrd, the best horn man this side of Miles, has created a style all his own that's definitely worth catching. This is the first in a series of open air Sunday concerts being produced for the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts this summer, and if they're all this good the better part of your musical needs will be taken care of for the next two months. Tickets cost $5.50 in advance and $6.50, which isn't too expensive at all considering any one of these acts command that much playing alone at the Garden.

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is playing at the Performance Center this weekend. These guys put out a lot of nice but dull records; they only really shine in person. The group leans mostly toward a countryish sort of tune, always cleverly conceived and masterfully carried out. They've been working pretty often with Earl Scruggs in the past couple of years and they've learned their lessons from the old banjo picking wizard. The reason these dirty boys are so good in concert is that they have an amazingly friendly stage personality. They seem like such good fellows that you can't help but like them. Michael Stanley will also be playing at the Performance I. Shows are at 8 and 10:30.

Charles Lloyd is finishing up at the Performance II during the next few days. Lloyd plays sax and flute with a full back-up group. His salad days, whatever they are, are reportedly over and his music tends to get a little hairy nowadays. There are much better ways of spending your money this weekend.

Bar Life in Cambridge isn't too bad, especially if you like or can stand big crowds. Several places in the Square feature good local bands and tolerably good liquor. Oxford Ale House (36 Chruch St.), Charlie's Place (1 Bow St.) and Jacks (952 Mass Ave) are about the best the area has to offer.

The Boston Pops Esplanade Concerts are about all classical music buffs have to listen to this weekend if they don't want to make the trip up to Tanglewood. Considering the price, things could be worse. The free performances will begin at 8:30 tonight and tomorrow at the Hatch Shell on the banks of the Charles. This evening's program includes works by Grieg, Khachaturian and Youmans. Tomorrow Harry Ellis Dickson conducts some of Beethoven's greatest hits, with a little Richard Rodgers thrown in for good measure. This is, after all, the Pops.