AllMusic rated the album with 4 stars; in his review, Michael G. Nastos noted: "The music is for the most part punchy, vital, and alive with the spirit of the breezy, ocean-splashed, spacious West Coast... It's easy to hear Wilson at the peak of his very formidable powers, and this recording is highly recommended for those who enjoy the modern mainstream big-band sound of now".[2]The Guardian's review by John Fordham said "Gerald Wilson has confirmed the awesome firepower he still commands - both as a writer and a hirer of some of the best soloists".[3] In JazzTimes Thomas Conrad wrote: "This album lacks the sweep and majesty of Wilson’s best recordings of the ’60s and ’70s, but the charts are graceful, the section work is clean, and the joy is real".[6] On All About Jazz Jack Bowers noted: "the 89-year-old dean of American Jazz composers has scored another triumph, saluting the festival's golden anniversary with a picturesque seven-part suite, Monterey Moods, that musically epitomizes the scope and character of that annual event".[4]
Track listing
All compositions by Gerald Wilson except where noted.
