The Wire (p.74) - "Bang matches the mood admirably with his tart pitch-blending, while Yosef Ben Israel's strong, clear lines show him a worthy heir to Favors."
Down Beat (p.60) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Hypnotic ostinato grooves are El'Zabar's bag, as they were Favors', and this disc has plenty of them."
JazzTimes (p.103) - "El'Zabar uses the kalimba to create a hypnotic drone that inspires tenor saxophonist Ari Brown and violinist Billy Bang."
Kahil El'Zabar's Ritual Trio: Kahil El'Zabar (vocals, flute, drums, kalimba); Billy Bang (violin); Ari Brown (tenor saxophone, piano); Yosef Ben Israel (double bass).
Recording information: Riverside Studio, Chicago, Illinois (12/20/2004); Riverside Studio, Chicago, Illinois (12/21/2004).