What’s Next : New management means new music at B.B. King’s, including a visit from the master.

Shortly after booking acts for the entire month of November, Saul Davis, the entertainment manager at B.B. King’s Blues Club in Universal City, was informed that Nov. 6 would be his last day on the job. Corporate headquarters in Memphis had decided to install a new management team in the Universal CityWalk nightclub and restaurant.

With new leaders usually come changes. And for B.B. King’s, the changes might include a visit by the club’s namesake himself.

Corporate management would not comment on the reasons for the change. New club manager Gary Munyan has altered the menu and created a happy hour starting at 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. But what about the entertainment policy at the club?

Munyan promises an upgrade in the quality of music at the club--blues and R & B. Munyan emphasized: No rock ‘n’ roll. Starting things off, he said, the man himself, Riley “Blues Boy” King, will be performing in January, but Munyan was not yet sure of the date.

Davis, previously a record producer and music-industry executive, had booked many great acts into the club, including multiple W.C. Handy Award winners such as the late Luther Allison, Rod Piazza and Coco Montoya as well as up-and-comers like Texas guitar Wunderkind Jake Andrews.

But recently Davis had tried to broaden the scope of music presented at the club, bringing in a 1970s disco cover band, the Polyester Players, for a regular Tuesday-night gig. He also booked jazz acts such as Chris Botti and Mandrill.

Looking at the club’s December calendar, the Polyester Players have gone the way of the tree-ripened orange. Tuesday-night gigs are spread among several local acts. King Cotton is still a fixture on Sundays; the Good Ole Boys, a Blues Brothers tribute band, are still mainstays on Mondays.

Meanwhile, blues veteran Arthur Adams is holding down Friday and Saturday nights this weekend and next; and the club’s New Year’s Eve party will feature Guitar Shorty and Eric Sardinas.

* Arthur Adams plays Friday and Saturday at B.B. King’s Blues Club, Universal CityWalk. (818) 622-5464. $10.

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Something Different: It’s hard to pigeonhole Preston Smith.

Smith has been the regular Sunday-night attraction at Jax in Glendale for well over a year now. Recently, he’s also added Thursday nights at Cozy’s in Sherman Oaks to his schedule.

Jax is primarily a supper club--tables are reserved for diners and even at the bar, the club seems to do a healthy business in sirloins and chicken breasts.

The club books jazz acts six nights a week, with Smith on Sundays. Although he does perform some jazzy numbers, Smith probably couldn’t be classified as a jazz singer. He also does blues tunes, but to call him a blues singer would not tell the whole story either.

Smith lists Louis Armstrong as a major influence on his vocal style. While the influence is apparent, Smith is not a Satchmo impersonator. He’s created a vocal sound that’s all his own.

On a recent night, his repertoire covered a wide variety of musical styles--Tin Pan Alley tunes, Elvis numbers, blues and Christmas songs. He also mixed in some originals--”The Ways of Sin,” which he aptly described as “Russian-reggae-gospel-Gypsy-blues-rock” and “Crack the Whip,” a soulful funk tune that’s reminiscent of James Brown.

It was a very mixed bag. And he accompanied himself on guitar and electric harmonica, with only a bassist and drummer as backup. But Smith made it all work.

But who knows what to call it?

* Preston Smith performs Thursday evenings at Cozy’s Bar & Grill, 14058 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, [818] 986-6000; and Sunday evenings at Jax, 339 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale, [818] 500-1604.

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Hand It to ‘Em: Britt Phillips is a genuine Valley guy--born and raised here. But he had to move to Austin, Texas, in 1993 to get back to his musical roots.

He wanted to play the blues. And soon after arriving in town, he did.

Lots of it.

“I worked 286 straight nights--playing with three or four different bands,” Phillips said. A permanent ensemble quickly emerged when he started gigging with bass player Dewayne Davis and drummer Ty Grimes.

They called themselves Hand to Mouth. They’re a blues trio with a big rock sound. And now Phillips has brought his Texas cohorts back to his home turf. They’re in Los Angeles, trying to get a record deal.

They’ve made some progress. Two of their tunes are slated to be included in the soundtrack of an upcoming Lorenzo Lamas film. Meanwhile, they’re holding down a regular Saturday-night gig at Callahan’s in Van Nuys, and this Sunday, they’re playing at Smokin’ Johnnie’s in Sherman Oaks.

* Hand to Mouth plays Saturday night at Callahan’s (7557 Woodley Ave., Van Nuys, [818] 786-9542) and Sunday night at Smokin’ Johnnie’s (11720 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, [818] 760-6631). No cover.