Although this was McBride's first solo album, he had previously featured on records as a sidesman for Gary Bartz on the album Shadows, Benny Green on Greens, Roy Hargrove on Public Eye, Joe Henderson on Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn, Freddie Hubbard on Live at Fat Tuesday's, Joe Lovano on Tenor Legacy, Harold Mabern on Lookin' on the Bright Side, and Joshua Redman on Joshua Redman.

Howard Reich of Chicago Tribune noted "That Christian McBride is one of the most appealing and accomplished young bass players to come along in years must be obvious to anyone who has heard him accompany Roy Hargrove, Freddie Hubbard and other stars.

Though the music isn't particularly adventurous, it celebrates jazz tradition with a technical brilliance, a rhythmic vigor and a sonic warmth that are uniquely McBride's.

His presence and authority, however, are unmistakable, from the radio-friendly funk of the title track to his solo tour de force on "Night Train,' to the uplifting treatment of "Splanky," on which McBride proves himself the descendant of trio mates and spiritual godfathers Milt Hinton, age 84, and Ray Brown, 68".

[6] Tony Scherman of Entertainment Weekly added "Christian McBride has a big, fat tone and limitless dexterity, and the music boils (especially a choice piece of funk called ”In a Hurry”), but everything feels a little antiseptic — this isn’t, after all, a working band, just a one-shot convocation of hired guns".