The Allmusic review by Al Campbell awarded the album 2 stars and states: "Unfortunately this release contains little fire, as Adderley didn't get much rehearsal time with these musicians. Combined with the repetitious nature of the Bossa Nova these proceedings can get tedious."[3]The Penguin Guide to Jazz awarded the album 3 stars, stating: "Cannonball's Bossa Nova finds Adderley on a Brazilian vacation, with some of the local talent. Little more than a sweet-natured excursion into some of the indigenous music, it's a pleasing diversion." [4]
^The "Sexteto Bossa Rio" was a working name of studio musicians accompanying Sérgio Mendes on his 1961 album Dance Moderno. After the recording of the album "Cannonball's Bossa Nova" in 1963 the group evolved into the group "Bossa Rio", separating from Mendes, who left Brazil in 1963 to pursue his musical career in the USA.