AllMusic awarded the album 3 stars, stating: "Martino favors a more-is-more approach here, a welcome change for fans of his earlier recordings. His chops are on full display".[3]
Writing for All About Jazz, Douglas Payne called Nightwings "Martino's least convincing album ever," and commented: "Even the guitarist feels lazy and apathetic as he scales some of the most mundane changes he's ever charted. Certainly this disc has its share of admirers. I'm not convinced; mostly because Martino does little here that's persuasive... listen to Nightwings simply to hear how a master sounds on an off day."[4]