 The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4½ stars and stated "Although some historians have characterized the early '50s as Duke Ellington's 'off period' (due to the defection of alto star Johnny Hodges), in reality, his 1951-1952 orchestra could hold its own against his best.This set has many classic moments... One of the great Duke Ellington sets".Tom Hull, writing in his July 2004 "Jazz Consumer Guide" for "The Village Voice", commented briefly on the release