[1][2] In a review for AllMusic, Steve Loewy wrote: "At first blush, adding Roswell Rudd to a group of native West African musicians might seem, well, stretched.

The trombonist is in prime form, relaxed and expansive... the band is tight and well-rehearsed, Rudd's solos rival his best, and the tunes are catchy, simple, and accessible.

"[5] In a separate AAJ review, Elliott Simon stated: "with Malicool, Roswell Rudd has written yet another inventive chapter for the trombone...

"[6] In an article for Jazz Times, Javier Quinones remarked: "The shaping of musical worldviews and tempers was mutual as the repertoire itself well exemplifies...

"[7] George Tysh of the Detroit Metro Times wrote: "In these 10 seductively relaxed and warmly grounded performances, the New World meets the Cradle of Civilization in such a symbiotic way that it's hard to disentangle the different elements — Rudd sounds like he's been playing with these guys his whole life.