Azimuth, the trio of pianist John Taylor, trumpeter Kenny Wheeler and singer Norma Winstone, already sounded like a very experienced and well-rehearsed group when this debut was released in 1977. Azimuth broadened the spectrum to which the vocal jazz genre was often confined, demonstrating a forward-looking creative spirit from the outset. In the year of the album's release, Melody Maker magazine commented that "this album is perhaps (...) the first sign of [John Taylor's] emergence as a truly significant composer: its graceful, flowing beauty conceals an exploratory spirit that will surely lead further."