Underground salsa from Orquesta La Fantastica – the group's debut from the early 70s, originally issued on the tiny Ghetto Records label! The album's a great illustration of the way that the regular Latin codes of the mainstream got broken down on the fringes – as the sounds and styles here are familiar at the outset, but often have little twists and turns you'd never find from bigger acts on Fania or Tico. Instrumentation includes a fair bit of vibes – often used mostly with the rhythm, but sometimes bursting out on their own – and there's also a strong tenor sax in the group, fleshing out the sound strongly next to the trumpets. Titles are all originals by group leader Samuel Leon, who sings along with Ralphy Chuleta – and titles include "Latin Blues", "M&M", "Telegrama", "Sassie", "Borinquen", and "Negrita Mia". LP, Vinyl record album