[2] The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz awarded the album 3 stars, and stated: "This live date from Finland suggests that 30 years of inactivity haven't done his chops any serious harm.

The cover painting by Åke Bjurhamn shows a mysterious sunlit ship sailing placidly on deep, dark water; we can think of no better visual analogy to this story and this music.

"[4] In a separate review for the same publication, Rex Butters wrote: "Murray and Drake share with Grimes an approach that incorporates virtuosity and daunting technical skill to create an active onslaught of ideas...

There's going to be a tendency to underestimate Grimes' achievement here, which is akin to a star major league hitter dropping out for thirty years to return more poised with the same power against younger pitchers.

"[5] Critic Tom Hull remarked: "The sound doesn't favor the return of Ayler's long-lost bassist, but David Murray and Hamid Drake do.