It was recorded in June 1982 at Barigozzi Studio in Milan, Italy, and was released by Soul Note in 1983.

On the album, which features compositions by Herbie Nichols and Thelonious Monk, Rudd is joined by saxophonist Steve Lacy, pianist Misha Mengelberg, bassist Kent Carter, and drummer Han Bennink.

In a review for AllMusic, Scott Yanow wrote: "a noteworthy group...

The musicians very much understood the composers' purposes, and... they come up with definitive treatments.

"[2] The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz awarded the album 3½ stars, and commented: "Regeneration is very satisfying... it's a tribute to the pianist and composer with whom Rudd worked in the early '60s... Lacy and Rudd used to work together in a unit which performed only Thelonious Monk material, so it's no surprise to hear three Monk tunes here alongside the same number of Nichols pieces.