Deluxe gatefold .
180 gram.virgin vinyl
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
|
Down Beat (Original LP release) |
  [5]
|
| All About Jazz | favorable[6] |
| AllMusic |
[7]
|
| Penguin Guide to Jazz |
[8]
|
| Q |
[9]
|
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide |
[10]
|
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady is among the most acclaimed jazz records of the 20th century. Richard Cook and Brian Morton, writers of The Penguin Guide to Jazz, awarded the album a "Crown" token, the publication's highest accolade, in addition to the highest four-star rating.[6] Steve Huey of AllMusic awards The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady five stars out of five and describes the album as "one of the greatest achievements in orchestration by any composer in jazz history."[7] Q magazine describes the album as "a mixture of haunting bluesiness, dancing vivacity, and moments of Andalusian heat" and awards it four of five stars.[9]
The album was included in Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[11]