Side A was recorded at Carnegie Hall in New York City on April 18, 1963, and features Dolphy in a quartet format with trumpeter Edward Armour, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer J. C.

[3][nb 1] The remaining track is a rendition of Charlie Parker's "Donna Lee" by an all-star ensemble recorded at Carnegie Hall on April 18, 1963.

[5][6] In 1996, GM reissued the album in remastered and expanded format, adding a recording of a five-part Schuller composition titled "Variants on a Theme by Thelonious Monk".

"[16] He concluded the chapter by stating: "At this point I should repeat the real reason for this LP: Eric Dolphy was a man born to make and communicate music, and any phrase from any of his instruments will tell you that immediately.

"[10] Duncan Heining, writing for All About Jazz, commented: "These are important recordings that amount to much more than any number of radio shots from Dolphy's European tours...