It also includes one track from a 1962 session with vocalist Bob Dorough, which was the first time Wayne Shorter recorded with Davis.

[9] The album's cover is a profile photo of actress Cicely Tyson, who at the time was Davis's girlfriend (and later his wife).

Reviewing in January 1968 for DownBeat, Bill Quinn observed a transition from the "big old fat old lazy melodies" of Davis' traditional bop past toward an "extraordinarily sophisticated route to expression" defined more by inflection, nuance, and "quality of the mood".

He credited Davis with "unselfishly [taking] advantage of the writing talent in his crew" and being "right on top of the times with superbly disciplined chaos".

"[11] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic also acknowledged that "it's a little elusive" and "rarely blows hot", representing a period of transition yet still "a layered, intriguing work".