In a review for
All About Jazz, John Sharpe wrote: "While this isn't the place to look for the best work by any of these men, it's not possible to find them together anywhere else, and with Bang, Brown, Hopkins and Sirone all deceased, for that alone it should be cherished." Jason Bivins of
Point of Departure called the album "a vintage slice of heady, emotional jazz from something of an 'all-star' combo," and wrote: "it's not fair to call this music free jazz or free improvisation, since each of the five tracks here is compositional in the robust sense, trading not so much in heavy structure as rich thematic material... Marvelous stuff." In a review for
Tiny Mix Tapes, Clifford Allen stated: " it's clear from
Live that free music and the tradition had a lot to say to one another, and that the results could be both complex and breathtakingly powerful. It's better that we hear The Group a quarter-century late than never."
Cult MTL's Lawrence Joseph called The Group "a brand-name, New York, free-jazz supergroup," and commented: "Was there a better free jazz rhythm section than bassist Sirone with Andrew Cyrille on drums? Actually, there was, when second bassist Fred Hopkins was added to replace Sirone, who'd announced that he would miss the gig but showed up to play anyway." Writing for
The List, Stewart Smith described the album as "gloriously creative and soulful... from [a] dream team of first generation free jazzers," and remarked: "Tuneful, swinging and thrillingly inventive, this is gloriously creative and soulful music." Derek Taylor of
Dusted Magazine wrote: "Despite glowing press, a decent string of gigs and a strongly shared commitment to collaboration, the band wasn't destined to last... The music that survives makes that sad fact all the sadder, but the proof of The Group's greatness is ripe for reconsideration and commendation however belatedly." ==CD track listing==