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.
Jazz historian Ted Gioia noted Zeitlin's Columbia period, stating that he absorbed the innovations of the previous decade, from the impressionistic style of Bill Evans to the free-form explorations of Ornette Coleman. He then blended these into a unique style that foreshadowed the next fifteen years of keyboard innovation.