Allmusic reviewer Scott Yanow described the album as "An excellent example of Illinois Jacquet's hard-swinging and accessible music". in JazzTimes, Stanley Dance observed: "The two long blues on which Ben Webster plays are by far the most exciting tracks. Opening the record on the first, he lays down a ferocious challenge, but Jacquet, who in no way appears intimidated by the huffing and puffing, replies in an alert, sparring fashion that contrasts his leaner sound effectively. Jacquet opens on the second, their subsequent exchanges having rare, toe-to-toe intensity, as befits two of the swingingest tenors there have ever been".Dance, S., JazzTimes Review, October 1998
