[1] It includes performances of standards from two sessions with completely different lineups of accompanying musicians.

The later session from February 21, 1958, features very notable jazz performers such as pianist Bill Evans and bassist Oscar Pettiford.

John Bush of AllMusic said that "[a]lternately breathy and atmospheric or bright and dynamic, Helen Merrill often reaches a bit too far on The Nearness of You, though her distinct style and strong personality may be refreshing to vocal fans tired of the standard versions of standards.

Her powerful voice occasionally gets her into trouble, breaking from breathy to brash and often occupying a rather awkward middle ground.

"[1] The Bill Evans biographer Peter Pettinger wrote of the session featuring the pianist, "Merrill, enticingly warm, molded the intensity of her tone like a horn, coloring her line with a tastefully controlled vibrato."