Caribbean Jazz Project

Caribbean Jazz Project Is A Latin Jazz And Afro-Cuban Jazz Group Including Dave Samuels Paquito D'Rivera And Andy Narell. They Might Be Best Known For Their 2002 Album The Gathering. They Have Recorded Seven Albums Five For The Concord Jazz Label One For Inak Records And One For Heads Up. Vibraphone And Marimba Specialist Dave Samuels Having Played For A Considerable Period With The Contemporary Jazz Group Spyro Gyra Always Had A Love For Latin Music. In 1993 He Left This Group To Pursue This Love. The Caribbean Jazz Project Came Into Being In 1995 When Samuels Teamed With Steel Pan Artist Andy Narell And Reed Master Paquito D'Rivera To Perform A Concert In New York's Central Park. The Group's Appearance Drew Rave Reviews And Before Long Their First Album The Self-Titled Caribbean Jazz Project Was Released On The Heads Up International Label. The Group Has Gone Through Several Personnel Changes Since Its Beginning. When Rivera And Narell Left The Group After Its Second Release Island Stories It Appeared As If The Caribbean Jazz Project Would Discontinue Existence. However Samuels Succeeded In Resurrecting A Second Version Of CJP With The Addition Of Guitarist Steve Khan And Flutist Dave Valentin. In This Format CJP Toured Extensively And Recorded Three More Releases That Eventually Resulted In A Grammy Award For The Best Latin Jazz Album With Its Release The Gathering. The Third Version Of CJP That Continues To The Present And Includes Trumpet And Flugelhorn Specialist Diego Urcola Along With Pianist Dario Eskenazi Bassist Oscar Stagnaro Drummer Mark Walker And Percussionist Roberto Quintero. In This Makeup CJP Toured With Singer Diane Schuur And Teamed To Produce The Singer's 2005 Release Schuur Fire. Discography The Caribbean Jazz Project 1995 Heads Up International LTD Island Stories 1999 Inak New Horizons 2000 Paraiso 2001 Concord Jazz The Gathering 2002 Concord Jazz Birds Of A Feather 2003 Concord Jazz Here And Now Live In Concert 2005 Concord Mosaic 2006 Concord Afro Bop Alliance 2008 Heads Up read less