[1][2][3][4][5][6] In a review for AllMusic, Thom Jurek wrote: "There is an interesting contrast of styles here, given the formalist tradition Mangelsdorff came from and the staunch vanguardism of Brötzmann and Sommer.

Of course, this is a blowing session that took place at a German Jazzfest and those contrasts work here to the betterment of the music... For those who need new infusions of this sort of thing, it's certainly for you.

Of course, this ear stretches across countries, traditions, political lines and generations, embracing the possibility in the process.

"[11] Slant Magazine's R. Emmet Sweeney called the album "an intimate affair that still shakes the rafters," and praised the passages in "Instant Tears" when Brötzmann and Mangelsdorff join forces, noting: "The moments when these two finally harmonize are genuinely elevating—it sounds like a conversation between peers.

"[10] Ken Waxman of JazzWord stated that the album "offers proof positive that the hard-driving reedist can easily hold up his side in an all-star trio configuration," but singled out Sommer's contributions for praise, writing that his "tambourine shuddering cymbal raps, intense cross sticking and triplet flams and rattles add heaving tension to the tunes, which take on new dimensions when he releases the beat.