Wow! What can you say about Robert Ward except that he can work a guitar over from one end to the other and never miss a note on the vocals. This man demonstrates what R&B is all about. The very first song on Rhythm of the People gets you on your feet and starts your hand clapping and your feet moving. It is indicative of the quality and style of this entire collection. From a walking bass to saxophone solos to trumpet rips and trombone slurs, this band gives you a performance to set a new standard for all R&B groups.

The guitar work in "White Fox" is some of the finest I have heard. "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" feels like Sunday morning in the Deep South in a black church. You just cannot find this kind of gospel music anywhere else. Something always gets lost in the translation when people in other areas attempt to reproduce it. This is the kind of music that lifts your soul and focuses your heart on worship. It puts the "state of bliss" into the worship. Roberta Ward and Sammy Berfect fill out the vocals to perfection and stir your heart. This is by far my favorite track on this CD.

Robert Ward performs the vocals and plays guitar. He is joined by: Sammy Berfect (organ, piano, background vocals), Lee Zeno (bass), George Rains (drums, percussion), Sarah Brown (bass), Roberta Ward (tambourine, vocals) and the Kamikaze Horns, consisting of Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff (tenor and baritone saxophone), Ernest Youngblood Jr. (tenor saxophone), Keith Winkling (trumpet) and Mike Mordecal (trombone). George Porter Jr. steps in on bass for "I Found a Love."

The selections included are: "A Good Man," "The Real Deal," "Say What You Mean," "White Fox," "You Can't Stop My Lovin' Now," "Children of the World (Don't Forget to Pray)," "All Proud Races," "I Do What I Want," "What a Friend We Have in Jesus," "Some Things," "Soap Opera Blues," "I Found a Love" and "Twiggs County."

Blacktop Records promotes their music as "Paving the way to your soul." This CD certainly does that and more. Once it has the road paved, it drives into you soul and runs an obstacle course before parking in the deepest, most cherished spot. The quality is consistently excellent throughout this collection.

Robert Ward's first release was Fear No Evil in 1991. During the '60s and '70s, he was performing with some of the hottest groups, but disappeared from the music scene in the early '70s. His 1991 release was hailed as "one of the most exciting rediscoveries of the '90s." Order a copy of this CD and learn why this man is so loved by R&B fans around the world.