[4] The album was released by MGM Records label, which Masekela left several years ago.

[5] It was recorded at The Village Gate, New York City, in November 1965 during the same sessions as The Americanization of Ooga Booga and released as a separate album in December 1968.

A reviewer of Dusty Groove stated: "One of Hugh's best albums for MGM – with some tracks that are longer than his late 60s pop tunes, and which feature him stretching out more in a soulful mode, hitting some fuzzy Afro funk grooves that are very nice!

Hugh's soulful trumpet is in fine fine form..."[7] Bruce Eder of AllMusic wrote: "The remainder of Hugh Masekela's winter 1965 Village Gate set sat in the can for three years, until 'Grazing in the Grass' became a hit in 1968 on the Uni label.

Then the label rushed out with the six-track Lasting Impressions of Hugh Masekela LP, which was a match musically for its predecessor, The Americanization of Ooga Booga.