[1][2][3][4] In a review for AllMusic, François Couture wrote: "Though the music is free to (and does) go anywhere, the listener usually knows what to expect -- and Naan Tso does not disappoint: dynamic playing, fierce exchanges between tenor sax and piano, delicate work from bass and drums, and a willingness to share collective fun with the listener.

"[6] The Guardian's John Fordham called the album "fierce free-jazz, but majestically compelling," and commented: "the constant urging of Moholo's swing, the splashy high-note effects of Beresford and the elemental roar of Edwards' bass provides a dramatic landscape for Parker's restlessly inventive journeys.

"[5] John Eyles of One Final Note noted that the musicians "are as wily an improvising foursome as one could hope to encounter," and remarked: "Although recorded in the studio, these performances have the energy and spontaneity of a live gig... [Parker's] stream of invention... is so relentless as to make one's head reel, and the only way to appreciate it is to surrender and be swept along.

The music often feels as much free jazz as improv, despite all four players being equal and unconstrained; the key to this seems to lie with Moholo, whose playing brings a subtle pulse that provides momentum, maybe even discipline.

"[7] Music by Evan Parker, John Edwards, Louis Moholo, and Steve Beresford.