The Touch (Johnny Heartsman album)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
All Music Guide to the Blues	[9]
Chicago Tribune	[10]
The Grove Press Guide to the Blues on CD	[11]
MusicHound Blues: The Essential Album Guide	[12]
North County Times	[7]
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings	[13]
Syracuse Herald American	[14]
The Union	[15]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of the Blues	[16]
The Windsor Star	A[17]

The Chicago Tribune noted that "Heartsman is an exponent of the Bay area style of blues, a style with a jazzier, more 'uptown' sound than Chicago blues."^[10] The Windsor Star said that Heartsman's "singing often comes across like Mose Allison with more energy, never forcing emotion on the listener, but providing subtle shadings that are just as effective."^[17] The Washington Post opined, "Moving from exuberant jump tunes to breathy flute instrumentals to gritty soul ballads, he's a master of mood, and though his lyrics sometimes fall flat, he nearly always has something colorful and unexpected up his sleeve."^[18]

The Montgomery Advertiser called The Touch "an excellent piece of musicianship, but only a mediocre blues album."^[19] The Syracuse Herald American concluded that "his songwriting is hit or miss".^[14] The Morning Call noted Heartsman's "polished and seductive" vocals and said that the album "reinforces the legend".^[20]