Photo: Red Beans and Rice run their band like a business, and they''re in the business of making people have fun.

In Monterey County, any band that''s been around for more than three or four years can be considered a longtimer. Setting the local record is the Broadway Band, the group fronted by John "Broadway" Tucker that''s been around in one form or another for nearly 20 years. And there''s Jonah and the Whalewatchers, who''ve been playing reggae for about a decade.

And then there''s Red Beans & Rice, the band that''s set to commemorate its ninth anniversary in August by celebrating the release of its third CD, Homework, on Saturday at Sly McFly''s.

Even more remarkable than the band''s longevity is its popularity with local audiences. Red Beans has either won or tied for the Weekly''s "Best Local Band" award for the last seven years.

Of the group''s current six-man lineup, three of the members have been involved almost from the very beginning.

Guitarist Gil Rubio says the band was originally the brainchild of himself and former harmonica player "Big Steve," but that guitarist Sherman Davis was involved with the band even before it made its debut, and harmonicat Terrence Kelly joined less than six months later. Joining this trio of core members over the years are keyboardist Steve Blum, percussionist Jamey De Maria, and bass man Joe Vallaire.

Nine years is a long time to remain committed to one band, while juggling day jobs and other mundane responsibilities, and Rubio says the secret to the RB&R''s success lies in the group''s ability to treat the band in a businesslike manner while still maintaining a creative environment.

"I think it''s setting goals and trying to attain them and then reevaluating those goals," says Rubio. "At the beginning of every year, we kind of formulate goals-those that are easily attainable, some that are hard and some that are maybe unattainable, then re-evaluate later in the year.

"We kind of treat it like a business as well. The band has done really well in terms of its income, and we run it like a business."

Rubio hastens to add that creativity is another key element to the band''s success.

"If it''s not fun anymore, it''s not worth doing," he says.

The goals for this year included getting into more festivals, doing more high-profile gigs and working to promote the new CD. Rubio also says the band wants to find more gigs outside the immediate area.

Although they play regularly in festivals and nightclubs in the Monterey/Santa Cruz/San Jose area, and have played as far north as Portland and south as Los Angeles, Rubio says the band would like to expand its geographical territory.

"Another goal is time to work on new originals," Rubio says. "Sometimes we were so busy playing we didn''t have time to rehearse. I''d like to have a little more time to work on originals and get ready for the bigger gigs."

That dedication to original songs shows up on Homework, which features six (out of 13) songs that were written by Rubio. In that regard, the new album mirrors the group''s first two releases, Nothing But the Blues and Can''t Get Enough, which also featured a number of original tunes written by Rubio or other band members.

Rubio''s contributions on Homework include the sultry "Midnight Creep," with Doctor John-ish second-line keyboard rolls by Steve Blum. The New Orleans seasoning turns up again in "Give and Take" (this time with a little funk flavor), and in the uptempo "Ain''t She Fine."

"No Meat On Your Bones," another Rubio-penned song, is a little more soulful, as a lover bids a spiteful good-bye to his girlfriend: "Go on and leave me woman/Go on and leave me all alone...''Cause when it all comes back around/There won''t be no meat on your bones..."

But "Bones" seems almost uplifting compared to "A Good Love," with Terrence Kelly''s vocals eliciting a mood that''s as mournful as a dirge on a rainy morning.

"I may be wrong, but something just ain''t right/I think a good love went bad last night..." It''s a song that can represent some of what''s best about the entire blues genre: Music that flows almost unfiltered from the soul carrying the sound of a personal pain that can be almost universally recognized and felt.

On the flip side of the blues, the band closes the album with a cover of the very danceable "Red Headed Woman," a song filled with plenty of naughty double entendres. It''s the kind of song that would drive even the most dance-handicapped person to their feet. And that, according to Rubio, is still one of the band''s greatest thrills.

"What we do tends to touch people somehow in terms of enjoyment," Rubio says. "When we play festivals it''s really cool to see babies in their diapers dancing right next to elderly couples. It''s really a neat thing."

Red Beans & Rice celebrates the release of Homework at Sly McFly''s on Saturday night, beginning around 9pm. 649-8050.