It's the product of an inspired pairing: a big-band project featuring vibraphonist Dave Samuels's Caribbean Jazz Project and the Maryland-based Afro Bop Alliance in wonderfully compatible and often compelling form.

Afro Bop Alliance recasts nine CJP signature pieces – some by Samuels and others by Coltrane, Monk and others – in a fresh light via arrangements by the Maryland-based Afro Bop Alliance.

Samuels... in yet another constellation, this time with the Maryland-based Afro Bop Alliance... The 19 players are nimble, energetic and, as either name suggests, quite adept at both Latin music and jazz.

. 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.

The vibe here is a distinctly Latin, big-band trip on songs by John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie and several Samuels originals.

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, and those unfamiliar with the previous releases will undoubtedly find it exhilarating.

Samuels, as he has done throughout his career, shows his versatility. Whether carrying the melody, stretching out on a solo or complementing the other musicians, he demonstrates why he is regarded as one of the world's leaders in jazz vibes and marimba.

The new CD present nine signature numbers of the five-member original Caribbean Jazz Project, reworked for the big band instrumentation. The results are fresh and different and seem to swing even more

The Caribbean Jazz Project Afro-Bop Alliance showcases material from CJP’s seven previous recordings spanning 15-years, yet recasts each tune via innovative and full-bodied arrangements. Catch this musical match made in heaven and hear the Caribbean Jazz Project like you’ve never heard them before.