In his review on Allmusic, Tim Sendra states "The Texas tenor is one of the last men standing and 2005's All Soul shows he is standing as tall as ever. His gruff but inviting tone is steady and true, and a quick listen to the first track shows it hasn't dropped off at all ... Person as usual positively bleeds heart and soul on the ballads ... and romps through the up-tempo tracks".[4] On All About Jazz, Greg Thomas noted "Someone once said that jazz is the sound of surprise. Tenor man Houston Person, best known for his work with the late singer Etta Jones, demonstrates this truism to a tee on All Soul, featuring ten compositions across a spectrum of jazz styles and eras ... By the time you finish listening, you'll be surprised and cheerful too".[6] In JazzTimes, Owen Cordle wrote: "Person often punctuates his lines with a shout. Sometime he drenches his phrases in blues grease. And sometimes during a ballad a single bent note is all it takes for him to create a feeling of yearning. There’s a vocal quality to his playing, as if he’s singing the melody. All Soul is another good one from a master soul man".[7]