The Guardian 's review by John Fordham awarded the album 4 stars, stating, "this all-star group constantly demonstrate how joyous that can sound without winding up the volume".[2]JazzTimes observed "in typical crystalline ECM fashion, Within a Song plays tricks with its role models, pushing envelopes that were elastic to begin with".[4] John McBeath of The Australian wrote, "This is a valuable collection by two old masters in a nostalgic, relaxed setting of expert craftsmanship".[3]Stereophile correspondent Fred Kaplan noted, "Within a Song is something of a high-wire act: delicate music of an uninsistent intensity, a quiet swing, that hangs together or collapses on the ensemble's sustenance of balance".[5]
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