Those were the days: master Nuyorican conguero Ray Barretto seated behind his congas, head thrown back, shirt generously unbuttoned, co-driving the three-man trumpet line of Roberto Rodriguez, Rene Lopez and Papy Roman – and the sort of mighty rhythm section beloved of such Latin-tastic orchestras as the Fania Allstars (Barretto co-created the Fania label) and those helmed by Celia Cruz and Tito Puente (Barretto replaced Mongo Santamaria in the latter). Over the course of a stellar career Barretto's solid rhythmic pulse enlivened styles from swing to bebop, boogaloo to charanga, Latin jazz to fusion.

This album, stripped ofunnecessary flourish, and meaner, leaner and funkier for it, was a reminder of Barretto's heavyweight status on the salsa scene. Fifty years on, the uppercuts still connect: the Barretto-penned ‘Oye la Noticia’, with its soaring piano solo by Louie Cruz, calls out green-eyed artists. The smash-hit ‘Quitate La Mascara’, a product of Barretto's penchant for salsa-dura [hard salsa] inspired decargas, is made transcendental by the formidable vocalist Adalberto Santiago, while heavy funk fusion closer ‘Power’ – another great descarga – is marked by smoking timbale work. A timepiece that captures the rugged soundscapes of the nascent salsa movement, Barretto Power is still a benchmark of musical excellence.