The Holmes Brothers 7:30 p.m. today. Rosebud, Strip District. $12. (412) 276-8300.

Sherman Holmes says last year's visit to Russia was a powerful tribute to the gospel-flavored blues he and his band produce. He recalls fans in Moscow reacting with great enthusiasm to the spiritual sound of the music offered by the Holmes Brothers. Even if the language and heritage were a bit different. 'Russians have been struggling for religion for many years,' he says. 'We're not missionaries or anything - we're just entertainers - but if you can make a person happy for a few minutes, you're doing your job.' Tonight, the group will bring the same sound to Rosebud in the Strip District. It's a style that is theirs and doesn't change no matter where they are. For instance, the Moscow trip was part of an almost six-week swing through eastern Europe. It took the band to Turkey, Romania and Russia among other nations. 'We just keep ploughing on through,' Holmes says of the group that has been around since 1980. 'It was great. We did TV shows in Moscow and got phone calls from people in Siberia.' The unit is built around bassist Sherman, his guitarist-brother Wendell and drummer Popsy Dixon. It creates music that is blues-based but full of the gospel sounds of traditional tunes such as 'King Jesus Will Roll All Burdens Away' or the original 'Jesus Got His Hooks in Me.' But amid that on the new album, 'Speaking in Tongues,' is a slowed-down version of the rhythm-and-blues classic 'Love Train.' It becomes something a hymn to brotherhood. It's a blend that makes sense, Holmes says. 'We're really a blues-oriented group,' he says, 'but the blues and gospel are related.' The band's mix of genres dates back to the early '60s when the two Holmes brothers were part of an R&B band, The Sevilles. The group, he adds, basically made its living doing versions of famous tunes. 'But when we'd be sitting around at home, we'd do some gospel and spiritual stuff,' Holmes says. 'We'd play around with that form of music.' The Sevilles broke up, but the brothers kept playing in clubs near their Virginia home until a friend, the now-deceased Bill Dicey, suggested they go to New York City. 'Bill played the harmonica, and he said we could go there and put together a blues jam,' Holmes says. 'We had never really heard of that, but it worked, and we were doing it as well as working other gigs.' The band ended up drawing a number of gospel singers - after all, the styles are related, remember• That showed the musicians a gospel-based band might work. So the Holmes Brothers were born. The band has recorded with Van Morrison, toured with Joan Osborne and, in 1996, did the soundtrack for the film 'Lotto Land.' 'We do about 220 shows a year,' Holmes says. 'We've done more, but the past couple years have been a little slow.' Bob Karlovits can be reached at (412) 320-7852 or bkarlovits@tribweb.com .

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