VALLEY CLUBS A BLUES OASIS : LIVE BANDS WAIL, AND TALES OF WOE ARE RECOUNTED NIGHTLY AT FOUR LOCAL SPOTS.

Byline: Fred Shuster Daily News Music Writer

There are many definitions for the blues. Perhaps Lightnin' Hopkins' version was among the best because he captured the humor often inherent in feeling bad.

``I went downtown and bought myself a pair of shoes/I didn't do it 'cause I needed them/Did it because I had the blues,'' the Texas bluesman sang.

Now, that's bad luck and trouble. When you're feeling so rotten you go out and buy a pair shoes you don't really need.

Despite many so-called blues revivals in the past, this year has proved to be the real thing, particularly in the Valley, where two new clubs devoted to the blues are doing well, a third has been a fixture since 1991 and a fourth is a top tourist destination.

Part of the reason for this mass rediscovery of a traditional pop music genre is the increased visibility of the blues on commercials, in movie and TV scores and on radio. Somehow, blues now goes hand in hand with having a good time for many of the patrons of popular local clubs such as Cozy's Bar & Grill, B.B. King's Blues Club, the Classroom and Smokin' Johnnie's.

The blues seems to be a lifestyle choice on a par with cigars and Starbucks. And you don't have to go through the contortions of attending a concert at the Forum to appreciate the stuff.

``I think the blues appeals to a wide range of people,'' said Tim Casey, a bandleader who hangs out at the Classroom in Northridge and has witnessed the blues revival firsthand. ``And it doesn't have to be loud to be good. It doesn't have to bring you down, either.''

One recent night at Cozy's, an intimate bar-restaurant in Sherman Oaks, customers either shot pool or filled the tables in front of the tiny stage, where an electric guitarist wailed during the club's weekly blues jam session.

Cozy's, like B.B. King's, the Classroom and Smokin' Johnnie's, offers a full bar, so those under the age of 21 cannot be admitted. Also, only the Classroom does not serve food and aims instead for a roadhouse atmosphere. The Northridge bar and B.B. King's are the only clubs with dance floors.

``The audience here is split between people who have a real tie to the music and those who come because it's cool right now,'' said 41-year-old Andy Talamantez of Canyon Country, who was relaxing with friends at Cozy's the other night. ``Going to a blues club is like going to a movie for some people. Personally, I'm glad there are all these places to go now.''

It wasn't always this way. Until the Classroom launched its current all-blues policy five years ago, Valley blues fans had a choice of one now-defunct joint in Burbank or a trip over the hill to a rock club that might have a blues act that particular night.

Smokin' Johnnie's has brought the double-header of blues and barbecue to Studio City. Like the other local venues, Johnnie's books the occasional established name, such as harmonica ace William Clarke, who appears there on Nov. 15.

During a recent visit, most patrons hung out in the bar area, while a generic blues band bashed away to few listeners in the main room.

Mark Johnson, a 26-year-old tow truck driver from Canoga Park, said he's been to the high-profile B.B. King's at CityWalk but prefers the rough-and-ready atmosphere of such street-level nightspots as the Classroom and Smokin' Johnnie's.

``The bands are here to entertain, not to be noticed by a record company,'' he said between sips of beer. ``I come to relax. And the bands really connect with the audience.''

Added Kristy Atkins, a 24-year-old bookkeeper: ``It's the sort of thing where everyone is having a good time.''

B.B. King's is more of a night out than the other Valley spots. For one thing, it's located at CityWalk, and for another, there is often a steep cover charge. That's because B.B.'s is a top venue on a par with the House of Blues in West Hollywood.

At B.B.'s, the cigar smoke swirls as locals mingle with tourists in the name of the King of the Blues. One night last week, 34-year-old Teri Lindau of Los Feliz complained about the atmosphere.

``I find it a distracting circumstance to hear music, but they do have top-notch entertainment,'' she said as she nursed a martini. ``I've been here before and I always try and come on off-nights. The weekends are ridiculous. It's as if Disneyland had a blues ride.''

At Cozy's a few nights ago, Sherman Oaks musician Clive Phillips observed the crowd from his place at the back of the room near the pool tables where he stood talking to friends. Phillips has been coming to Cozy's since it opened last year and drops by a few times a week.

``Blues has taken over from new age for a lot of people,'' he said. ``They've realized that blues doesn't have to painful. It can make you feel good.''

For her part, Lindau remembers the days several years ago when she and her friends drove to South Central Los Angeles in search of blues. She's been to the Classroom and Cozy's and is glad the music now seems to be the sound of choice at so many bars and hangouts.

``I'm not one of those people that believes you have to go through an ordeal to find this music,'' she said. ``When I want to have a good time, it's just nice we don't have to go so far anymore. I don't smoke cigars and I don't drink that much. It's just cool to meet friends, play a little pool and soak up some music.''

And in the end, she wasn't driven to go downtown and buy a pair of shoes she didn't really need.

THE FACTS

What: B.B. King's Blues Club.

Where: 1000 Universal Center Drive, Universal City.

Information: [phone].

What: Cozy's Bar & Grill.

Where: 14058 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks.

Information: [phone].

What: The Classroom.

Where: 8333 Tampa Ave., Northridge.

Information: [phone].

What: Smokin' Johnnie's.

Where: 11720 Ventura Blvd., Studio City.

Information: [phone].

CAPTION(S):

4 Photos

Photo: (1--Cover--Color) BLUES HAPPY

With more clubs popping up, folks are having a good time getting down.

(2) Robert Root of Tim Casey and the BluesCats blows the harmonica at the Classroom in Northridge.

(3) Janine Forman and Bud Henderson dance to the music of Imperial Crown at Smokin' Johnnie's in Studio City, one of many clubs to spring up during the San Fernando Valley's blues revival.

(4) Danette Rethetnik checks out the jukebox selections at Cozy's Bar & Grill in Sherman Oaks.

Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News