In a review for
AllMusic,
Scott Yanow wrote: "Dental problems resulted in Moncur only playing once in a great while in the 1990s. He had been in obscurity for quite a while when he was contacted by arranger Mark Masters for the
Exploration project. Fortunately Moncur's playing proved to still be in his prime. Masters wrote sympathetic charts for many of the trombonist's finest pieces, utilizing an all-star nonet that could really dig into the inside/outside music... This CD overall is very rewarding, a dream project for those who have long admired the underrated Grachan Moncur. The musicians have their solos, there are both written and improvised ensembles and Moncur plays wonderfully throughout. This set, which sums up Grachan Moncur's career definitively, is a gem." In a
JazzTimes review, Harvey Siders remarked: "Moncur shows a youthful vigor in the title tune, exploring the tune's whole-tone structure with his velvety tone. 'Monk in Wonderland' captures Thelonious' staccato humor, providing Smulyan with his best solo moments. 'Love and Hate,' one of Moncur's darkest ballads, gives him a chance to show his highly personal side as soloist, and tenorist Harper matches the trombonist in introspection. 'New Africa,' a three-part suite, is also dominated by Moncur and Harper, but more interesting are the ensemble writing/playing and the strong walking by Drummond, free to roam in the pianoless environment. 'Excursion' is a nonstop free ensemble with more tonality than anarchy. Just about everyone solos in 'Frankenstein', with colorful statements coming from French hornist Clark." Peter Marsh, writing for the
BBC Music website, stated: "this is a fine record. Bristling with intelligence, good humour and swing, Moncur's music stands the test of time; something like 'Monk in Wonderland' should be a standard by now. Nice to see him back." ==Track listing==