Allmusic's Thom Jurek said: "Mama Wailer is one of the quintessential sides issued by Creed Taylor's CTI/Kudu imprint ... This is what Latin soul is all about when it meets jazz. The improvisations are in the pocket, but, at the same time, off the page. Here is where boogaloo and hard bop meet headlong".[4]
Track listing
All compositions by Lonnie Smith except where noted