In 1966 Dixon premiered his composition "Pomegranate" at the Newport Jazz Festival with dancer Judith Dunn, and this performance led to a contract with RCA.

Dixon signed with producer Brad McCuen to do a quartet piece, but instead he started working on "Metamorphosis 1962-1966", for an ensemble of ten musicians.

[1] In his review for All About Jazz, Troy Collins states: "Intents And Purposes has long been revered as Bill Dixon's singular masterpiece...The reissue allows the record to finally take its rightful place alongside such masterpieces as Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz, John Coltrane's Ascension and Miles Davis' Bitches Brew.

[5] In a 2011 Village Voice article following the CD reissue, Francis Davis wrote: "If ever a jazz LP literally qualified as 'legendary,' Intents is it...

"[6] Writing for The Vinyl District, Joseph Neff noted that the album, "if often gripping and raw is never chaotic," and commented: "Intents and Purposes' large group template combined with compositional fortitude and improvisational vigor makes it essential to any free jazz library.