blood drum spirit ensemble is the culmination of many years of work and a
confluence of many different musical traditions. royal hartigan's ensemble
seamlessly incorporates West African, Filipino, and Indian rhythms with the
African American jazz tradition.Leon Lee, Beijing

royal hartigan has committed himself to living the music of the peoples of Africa and African America. He lives with our brothers and sisters in villages in our homeland, eats our food, dances and drums with heart. Whatever he does in his playing and sharing….is from his whole being and is the real thing.Kofi Ghanaba 'Son of Ghana'

.....hartigan .....combines non-Western rhythms with a standard jazz quartet to
create a series of impressive originals .....hartigan brings forth a powerful
Africanized beat....Ken Waxman

[T]he listener probably does not notice he or she are getting carried away by the exuberance of the music and its creators...If you listen closely, you can really hear the interactions and connection of the rhythm section...time always moves on and we change. What has not changed – if anything it's stronger – is Blood Drum Spirit and royal hartigan's dedication to, love for, and continual exploration of world music and how it is so much a part of jazz.Richard Kamin