On the album, Cherry is joined by members of the group called Nu: saxophonist and flutist Carlos Ward, percussionist Naná Vasconcelos, bassist Mark Helias, and drummer Ed Blackwell.

[2] The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings wrote: "Ward's reeling, bop-tinged solos... are a major feature, and so too is Vasconcelos's party-piece 'O Berimbau'.

Don squeezes off tight notes and phrases and there is more trumpet-playing than on some occasions.

"[3] In a review for Jazz Times, Bill Shoemaker commented: "Live at the Bracknell Jazz Festival, 1986 confirms Nu to be an ensemble that vigorously and cogently articulated the various aspects of the multi-instrumentalist's multicultural aesthetic... this exceptional concert recording fills a significant gap in Cherry's discography... Live at Bracknell is a good indicator of why Cherry's influence on subsequent generations is unique and apart from Coleman's.

"[4] Garry Booth of the BBC Music Magazine called the album "gripping stuff," and stated that Nu was interesting because "it combined several of Cherry's incarnations: drummer Ed Blackwell who he played alongside in Ornette Coleman's Fifties free groups; Panamanian altoist Carlos Ward, who provided the bridge between free and 'world music'; and Nana Vasconcelos, who helped him absorb Brazilian music.