The album was recorded live at Sweet Basil jazz club in New York City on March 25–26, 1977.

[1] Piccolo is considered one of Carter's best albums from the late 1970s due to its excellent recording, live-club feel, and exquisite musicianship.

[2] After being brought together by Carter and playing in his quartet for a few years, Barron, Williams, and Riley went on to form the band Sphere with Charlie Rouse.

The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow stated "This double album is mostly recommended to lovers of bass solos [...] These performances, which are well-played, are almost all quite long, so listeners who prefer more variety in their music are advised to look elsewhere.

This was omitted from CD issues due to time constraints, but does appear on the Milestone label's compilation of '70s Carter material entitled Standard Bearers.