"[19] The Philadelphia Tribune determined that Palmas "cooks from start to finish with a solid mix of mambos, cha-chas, and ballads.

"[20] The Province labeled the album "infectious African-Caribbean music with unmistakable jazz roots.

"[17] The St. Petersburg Times concluded that "the hyperactive syncopation of the Latin percussionists share equal footing with the clean Cannonball Adderly-inspired melody lines.

"[21] The St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted that José Claussell "takes the percussion solos and tears the rhythms apart at the same time he's putting them back together, an act of creation through destruction that all great timbales players seem able to do quite casually.

"[22] AllMusic wrote that "Palmieri typically starts off a number with familiar Latin piano patterns which quickly evolve into completely innovative chord combinations.