First Insight

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[10]
DownBeat	[11]
The Guardian	[12]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD	[13]
The Philadelphia Inquirer	[14]

The Chicago Tribune said, "Though the man's searing, blues-drenched playing alone would recommend First Insight, the stylistic variety of the compositions and the ingenuity of Davis's arrangements make this recording a tour de force."^[15] The Hartford Courant noted that the "zesty compositional variety accentuates the session's soloing strengths."^[9] The Washington Post compared Davis to Cannonball Adderley and concluded that "no one is carrying on [his] legacy more effectively today than [Davis]... His new album is filled with the pleasures of swinging, robust blues."^[5] LA Weekly opined that Davis "can play circles around" James Carter, Joshua Redman, and "some of the Marsalis cronies".^[16]

Jazziz stated, "Davis's alto sound—at turns throaty and reedy then pure and clean—and the narratives of his nine fine compositions on the new disc are the work of a man not just conversant, but capable of meaningful dialogue."^[17] The Irish Times said that Davis's "playing, though derivative, has reached a depth and inventiveness beyond anything he has previously recorded".^[18] The Toronto Star admired the "keen, resourceful awareness of melody and spare phrasing."^[19] The Guardian noted that, "unlike many contemporaries thrust into the leadership role, [Davis] invents tunes that are rather more than exercises."^[12]