In a review for AllMusic, Cub Koda called the album "one potent date," and wrote: "This is jazz from the days when albums were recorded in one day, and that was a good thing."[2]
Jack Sohmer, writing for Jazz Times, stated: "Despite its brevity, this is an excellent and little-known session."[5]
Pianist and composer Ethan Iverson commented: "The 'Ellington without Ellington' records are their own universe and I've never heard a bad one. I am keeping Ellingtonia Moods and Blues out and about in order to remember to keep listening to it. Gonsalves and Hodges know something particularly private and wonderful about playing the saxophone."[6]
