Recorded in 1955 at Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey, this album features one of the great trumpet stylists in the world of modern jazz, Kenny Dorham and some of the major names in hard bop plus some Latin musicians to bring out the 'Afro-Cuban' elements. The presence of Carlos "Potato" Valdes on congas and the trombonist Jay Jay Johnson with Hank Mobley on tenor saxophone, Cecil Payne on baritone saxophone, pianist Horace Silver, bassist Oscar Pettiford, and drummer Art Blakey makes it must-have for all jazz lovers.

It was among the earlier jazz albums merging Latin rhythms with hard bop: for its time (mid-1950s), that kind of fusion was still relatively fresh in the jazz world. All musicians playing strongly, which gives the album high musical heft. Many jazz fans and critics say that's "a first-rate recording for the under-appreciated Dorham, this one should be in every collection of all true music lovers". 'Afro-Cuban' is one of the major works of Dorham's career with an energetic and innovative soundscape.