Conceived by Dave Samuels (vibes and marimba), The Caribbean Jazz Project, Grammy Award winners in 2003 for the "Best Latin Jazz CD," is a vibrant and unique mixture of jazz, Afro-Cuban and South American music.

Dave Samuels and the Caribbean Jazz Project with steel pan drummer Andy Narell and saxophonist Paquito d’Rivera crafted their first recordings on Heads Up International in the 1990s and immediately captured the imagination of audiences and critics worldwide.

With this latest recording, The Caribbean Jazz Project - Afro Bop Alliance, the group recasts nine CJP signature pieces – some by Samuels and others by Coltrane, Monk, and other jazz luminaries – in a fresh new light via full-bodied arrangements by the Maryland-based Afro Bop Alliance, one of the most exciting new bands on the Latin jazz scene today.

"I wasn't expecting to have a big band recording to crow about this month, much less an astonishingly great one. But here you go. Led by vibraphonist Dave Samuels, this first-call band rides on top of a well-oiled Afro-Cuban rhythm section and interprets his ultra-classy bop-Latin crossover arrangements with as much fire as precision...If you're craving a dose of superb and energetic Latin jazz, here's your poison." - Keyboard

"The band cooks, no question about it, and Samuels' Latin-leaning arrangements are smart and steamy...the quality of musicianship throughout the album is superb..." - All Music Guide