First time she heard Anderson playing tenor sax at the Velvet Lounge, Crispell knew she would work with him.

Crispell and Drake had already worked together as a trio with German saxophonist Peter Brötzmann, playing a short run of concerts that resulted in the album Hyperion, released on Music & Arts.The three musicians had played together only in a studio rehearsal the day before the live show.

In her review for AllMusic, Joslyn Layne states "this is an incredible performance by a stunning group of musicians whose skill and chemistry completely sidestep the fact that this is only the second time that these three great jazz improvisers ever played together.

"[2] The Down Beat review by Jon Andrews says that Anderson "communicates without the harshness and split tones that alienated many listener in that era" and notes that Crispell "displays a broad range of expression from percussive rage to crystalline delicacy.

Drake provides sterling accompaniment and... often takes the initiative in breaking up Crispell's long, suspended lines into shorter, more discursive sections.