}} Reviewing a reissue, the
Detroit Free Press wrote: "Shaw applied the lessons of John Coltrane to a conception rooted in hard bop. The result was an angular, saxophone-like style and a complex harmonic language spiced by dissonance and unusually wide intervals—his serpentine improvisations weave in and out of chords like a taxi through New York traffic."
DownBeat reviewer Chuck Berg wrote, "Shaw was at the top of his game for the '76 Muse date... This is the real Woody Shaw ... the ensembles and solos here crackle with emotion, drama and virtuosity". Scott Yanow of
AllMusic stated that "the varied originals give the musicians strong foundations for their freewheeling and spontaneous solos, making this one of Woody Shaw's better recordings." == Track listing ==