It was released as a follow-up to his album Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus which featured the surprise hit song "Cast Your Fate to the Wind".

[1] Cashbox magazine cited the single "Zelao"/"Jitterbug Waltz" from In Person as a Best Bet: "Vince Guaraldi, who scored last time out with 'Cast Your Fate to the Winds' [sic], could duplicate that success with this top-flight bossa nova follow-up stanza.

[He] has an exceptional knack for catching and projecting the spirit of a tune, for finding the essence of the piece, and bringing strength and validity to his exposition of it.

"[2] Why It Matters blogger James Stafford cited In Person as capturing "the pianist in that brief moment when he was enjoying his first great national success with 'Cast Your Fate To the Wind' but hadn’t yet been transformed into a household name by Peanuts.

It’s a beautiful record, filled with blues, bebop, and bossa nova, but for sheer plaster-a-smile-on-your-face delight nothing beats his take on the Mediterranean traditional song 'Misirlou'.