The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow calls the album "historically significant".[4] John Barron wrote that the album declared "the arrival of a bold musical endeavor, intent on championing new sounds, heavily influenced by Ornette Coleman, Thelonius Monk, John Coltrane and Cecil Taylor," and "Having stood the test of time, this historically important — but shamefully underappreciated — live recording of The New York Contemporary Five sounds fresh and far-reaching almost fifty years later."[5] Jerry D'Souza wrote: "Given that the players went on to marked careers in the fiefdom of free jazz, this is certainly an historic document that stands as a take-off point."[6] Zachary Young wrote: "There's little that hasn't been written already about these musicians. Suffice it to say that the present set finds them in excellent form. An egalitarian ethos permeates the performance; the musicians are equal partners, and no one horn predominates."[7]
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