Just when you thought every innovative but obscure guitarist must surely have surfaced by now, along comes Robert Ward, a rhythm & blues-man whose sense of soul is so rich that it's a sin his talent has gone unrecognized for so long.

During Ward's prime in the Sixties and early Seventies, his popularity never reached much beyond the Midwest, despite his stint with the Motown group the Undisputed Truth and his having backed up the likes of Eddie Floyd and Wilson Pickett. Since then, Ward had lived the life of a forgotten artist until Black Top producer Hammond Scott brought him back into the recording studio, ending a twenty-year absence. The result is Fear No Evil, a wonderfully infectious collection of blues-tinted R&B beauties that glistens with originality and soars with some of the most achingly emotional guitar licks you'll ever encounter.

Ward's guitar style runs deep with chunky chords, tender rhythms and vibrato tones culled from an old Magnatone amp – all of which are held together by seamless webs of mostly upper-register notes. Yet it's Ward's phrasing, almost always juiced with eclectic soul passion, that stands out the most. Listen to the intriguing Chinese guitar riff that introduces "Your Love Is Amazing," or the Southern-fried and funky licks of "Born to Entertain," or better yet, the textural triumph of the instrumental "Blessings" for prime examples of Ward's gorgeously supple style.

And if Ward's guitar prowess isn't enough to make you a fan, there's the added attraction of his vocals. Falling somewhere between the cool croon of Curtis Mayfield and the bluesy scruffiness of Rufus Thomas, Ward the singer is nearly as appealing as Ward the axeman – and that lethal one-two combination makes Ward a better-late-than-never discovery. (RS 612)

ROBERT SANTELLI