The editors of AllMusic awarded the album a full 5 stars, and reviewer Scott Yanow called it "a major success" and "a real standout.

"[1] A reviewer for Billboard stated that the album is "a must for Monk's fans," but noted that it "features some of the best and some of the worst of the pianist and the ork.

"[7] Critic Tom Hull included the album in his list of the essential jazz recordings of the 1950s, awarding it his top grade of "A+".

[4] The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings suggested that "the band could probably have used a lot more time to figure out the composer's vision," and commented: "in general the ensemble catches only elements of Monk's intentions: his peculiar truce between a sober gaiety, bleak humour and thunderous intensity is a difficult thing for a big band to realize.

"[2] As from 2010, American jazz pianist Jason Moran went on tour with his project IN MY MIND, a multimedia presentation heavily inspired by Thelonious Monk's concert at The Town Hall.