"Bu" was Art Blakey's nickname, and was derived from Abdullah Ibn Buhaina, the name he adopted after converting to Islam.

[2] In a review for AllMusic, Scott Yanow called the album "an intriguing set," and wrote: "Due to the variety of the material (mostly originals) and the consistent brilliance of Newton, this CD is recommended to fans of advanced jazz.

"[1] The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz awarded the album 4 stars, and stated: "The set is bracketed by two takes of Cyrille's brilliant impersonation of Art Blakey in excelsis.

"[3] Amiri Baraka commented: "With James Newton on flute and Lisle Atkinson on bass, one does get the expected subtlety, measured color, and intimacy that that orchestration would predict.

Atkinson, a highly respected, widely sought-after, and constantly gigging yeoman at the other rhythm post, not only powerfully and dynamically paddles this furthership, but allows Cyrille to circle back and forth inside the main flow without the least loss of drive.