"Subtle Disguise is, for the most part, a satisfying collection of tightly arranged post-bop numbers, with elements of rock, funk and swing ... Throughout, Locke, 59, takes ample solos, many fast and complex. But he's best heard on the album's two ballads, "Safe And Sound (At the Edge Of The Milky Way)" and "Make Me Feel Like It's Raining," a tribute to vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson. At these slower tempi, the full dimension of Locke's chords have the room to blossom".