Reflecting on Zeitlin's Columbia period, jazz historian Ted Gioia wrote that the pianist "had assimilated the breakthroughs of the previous decade, from the impressionism of Bill Evans to the free-fall explorations of Ornette Coleman, and blended them into a personal style that anticipated the next fifteen years of keyboard advances.
Ted Gioia, a jazz historian, observed Zeitlin's period at Columbia Records, emphasizing his ability to absorb the groundbreaking developments of the previous decade, such as Bill Evans' impressionistic approach and Ornette Coleman's free-form explorations. This led to a distinctive style that foreshadowed future advancements in keyboard music over the next fifteen years.