In addition to singing and songwriting, Russell played many of the instruments on the album, including cello, percussion, guitar, keyboards, and vocals.

[2] Many of the tracks feature percussion & drum programming from Mustafa Khaliq Ahmed, as well as synthesizers & trombone playing by Peter Zummo.

[2] This was the first album released by Audika Records, and was done so after obtaining the exclusive licensing agreement with the estate of Arthur Russell to issue previously unreleased and out of print material from the musician's vast archive.

AllMusic critic Andy Kellman noted that "with the many hats Russell wore, Calling out of Context should hammer home the fact that he was also a dynamite writer of heart-on-sleeve love songs -- not just a formidable cellist and innovative disco producer.

"[7] PopMatters wrote that "Calling Out of Context demands that the world take pause and recognize the contributions Russell made to the disparate genres of dance, disco, dub, and experimental music.