the allmusic review by scott yanow noted, "in 1990, tenor-saxophonist clifford jordan achieved one of his lifetime goals and formed a big band. they recorded a demo in december, 1990, that helped land them a record deal ... the music on "play what you feel", which was originally the demo, was released for the first time in 1997. the 16-piece orchestra, which includes many of jordan's friends and longtime associates, was loose but tight, featuring strong solos, spirited ensembles and colorful straight-ahead arrangements ... all of the selections are fun and swinging. this is a highly recommended if little-known gem that makes one happy that clifford jordan was able to achieve his goal".