Caribbean Jazz Project was a Latin jazz band founded in 1993. The original group featured Dave Samuels, Paquito D'Rivera, and Andy Narell. After their second album, Island Stories, D'Rivera and Narell left the group but returned as guest stars. Under Samuels' leadership, the group explored various genres of Latin jazz with a changing membership and numerous guest artists. The band released nine albums under the Caribbean Jazz Project name, including New Horizons (2000), Paraíso (2001), The Gathering (2002), Birds Of A Feather (2003), and Mosaic (2006). They also served as the backing band for jazz singer Diane Schuur on her album Schuur Fire. The final album with Samuels, Afro Bop Alliance, featured the Maryland-based Afro Bop Alliance Big Band led by drummer Joe McCarthy and won the 2008 Latin Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album.
