Steve Jones of
USA Today declared, "Reeves, with her lively scatting and multi-octave voice, never tries imitating the great singer. She provides a fresh take on each song, luxuriating in the music provided by such musicians as
George Duke,
Billy Childs,
Reginald Veal,
Russell Malone and
Clark Terry, in addition to a 42-piece orchestra." Don Heckman of the
Los Angeles Times wrote, "There are times in the album when Reeves largely sets aside her own style, choosing instead to emulate both the timbre and the sweeping vocalisms associated with Vaughan. And, to her credit, she does it extremely well. But the subtext of the music has another reference point--the
Miles Davis collaborations with arranger
Gil Evans. That is provided by composer-pianist Billy Childs, who has delivered a series of lush orchestral wrappings that reach beyond accompaniment and into symbiotic musical partnership. It doesn't always work perfectly, but when it does, the resulting performances are stunning examples of what can happen when talented artists set aside their egos in pursuit of a common creative goal." Jim Santella of
All About Jazz wrote, "With a full string orchestra on every track, Reeves unleashes a program of stirring musical arrangements.
Billy Childs, a bright guy with forward-leaning ideas, created most of these unique arrangements. The harmony and rhythm is a far cry from average. Reeves is at home with these arrangements, but you get the impression she's holding back. The drama of two Brazilian pieces brings out her emotional strengths most effectively.
Dori Caymmi's 'Obsession' and
Milton Nascimento's 'The Call' feature wordless chanting with a powerful hook." Bret Saunders of
The Denver Post also placed
The Calling: Celebrating Sarah Vaughan among his list of 2001's top 10 jazz albums.
Ted Gioia later selected two of Reeves covers from this album, "Fascinating Rhythm" and "If You Could See Me Now," as "Recommended Versions" of these songs in his book
The Jazz Standards. ==Accolades==