AllMusic reviewer Thom Jurek states "This album documents three nights of a soprano saxophone throw-down in 1988 [sic] by three of the world's most infamous practitioners of the improviser's art on the instrument -- with Lacy being the unquestioned king of the straight horn. All the players led for one night; each grouped together all of the possible combinations in solo and duet forms, and then performed a brief trio piece as an encore. ... Three Blokes is not only compelling, it's riveting".[5]
The authors of Masters of Jazz Saxophone described the album as "a beautifully-recorded, unadorned three-soprano encounter."[8]
