"all about jazz" reviewed the album and wrote that "after decades of ground-breaking work, done without a road map or an agenda except for love of the music, brubeck prevails triumphantly on "one alone", his many bands that accessorized his music fading from the same level of prominence as brubeck's sound but never disappearing from memory. ...performing some of his favorite tunes from the 1930s and 1940s with their deceptively simple melodies, brubeck not only offers a different perspective on what has been considered the ordinary, but also provides fresh evidence—as if any further evidence were needed—that his style is unmistakable and that his contributions are invaluable".