Garrett is featured in a quintet with tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, keyboardist Benito Gonzalez, bassist Nat Reeves and drummer Jamire Williams.

[2] In a review for AllMusic, Thom Jurek wrote: "What is most pleasing about Sketches of MD is that Garrett is as concerned with offering his audience a solid and utterly engaging show as he is with having himself thought of as a banner-carrying sophisticated jazzman.

"[3] DownBeat's Jim Macnie called the album "frustratingly static," and commented: "Garrett may be a fire-starter, but his party records need a bit more design.

"[4] John Kelman of All About Jazz described the recording as "an album of unabashed blowing and multiplicity of stylistic references," but noted that the rendition of "Happy People" "turns tedious.

"[2] Writing for The Guardian, John Fordham stated that the album "catches the incandescent quality of a typical Garrett gig," and remarked: "It's good party music, but the kind of spontaneous turns that make you jump are rare.