The Continuity of Spirit
Encyclopedia
The Continuity of Spirit is an album by jazz
pianist
Horace Silver
, his fourth released on the Silverto label, featuring performances by Silver with Carl Saunders
, Buddy Collette
, Ray Pizzi, Ernie Watts
, Don Menza
, Bob Maize
and Carl Burnett with the Los Angeles Modern String Orchestra conducted by William Henderson and vocals by Andy Bey
, Maxine Waters, Julia Waters, and Chuck Niles
.
The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow
awarded the album 2 stars and states "The Continuity of Spirit finds Silver paying tribute to Duke Ellington
, W.C. Handy and Scott Joplin
. The idea of using disc jockey Chuck Niles as "the spirit of Duke Ellington" is pretty hokey and the original music owes little to Ellington, Handy or Joplin; everything is in Horace Silver's own style. But there are some swinging moments on this well-intentioned set".
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
Horace Silver
Horace Silver
Horace Silver , born Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silva in Norwalk, Connecticut, is an American jazz pianist and composer....
, his fourth released on the Silverto label, featuring performances by Silver with Carl Saunders
Carl Saunders
Carl Saunders, born , is a jazz trumpeter, composer and educator who worked with Stan Kenton, Buddy Rich, Bill Holman and Clare Fischer. Trombone player Carl Fontana once called Saunders "the best trumpet player you've never heard."- Origins :...
, Buddy Collette
Buddy Collette
William Marcel "Buddy" Collette was an American tenor saxophonist, flautist, and clarinetist. He was highly influential in the West coast jazz and West Coast blues mediums, also collaborating with saxophonist Dexter Gordon, drummer Chico Hamilton, and his lifelong friend, bassist Charles...
, Ray Pizzi, Ernie Watts
Ernie Watts
Ernest James "Ernie" Watts is an American jazz and rhythm and blues musician. He plays saxophone and flute. He might be best known for his work with Charlie Haden's Quartet West and his Grammy Awards as an instrumentalist...
, Don Menza
Don Menza
Don Menza is an American saxophonist, arranger, composer, session musician, and jazz educator noted for his many contributions to American jazz and big band music. -Early years:...
, Bob Maize
Bob Maize
Bob Maize was an American jazz double-bassist.Maize played piano from age seven and switched to bass at 13. After moving to San Francisco in 1963, Maize worked in the house bands of many jazz clubs in the city, including Soulville and Bop City...
and Carl Burnett with the Los Angeles Modern String Orchestra conducted by William Henderson and vocals by Andy Bey
Andy Bey
Andrew W. Bey is a jazz singer and pianist.Bey has a wide vocal range, with his four octave baritone voice.He worked on a television show, Startime, with Connie Francis and sang for Louis Jordan....
, Maxine Waters, Julia Waters, and Chuck Niles
Chuck Niles
Chuck Niles was a well-known jazz disc jockey who became the only jazz DJ to be on the Hollywood Walk of Fame....
.
The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow
Scott Yanow
Scott Yanow is an American jazz commentator, known for many contributions to the Allmusic website, for writing ten books on jazz and for reviewing jazz recordings for over 30 years.-Biography:...
awarded the album 2 stars and states "The Continuity of Spirit finds Silver paying tribute to Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
, W.C. Handy and Scott Joplin
Scott Joplin
Scott Joplin was an American composer and pianist. Joplin achieved fame for his ragtime compositions, and was later dubbed "The King of Ragtime". During his brief career, Joplin wrote 44 original ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet, and two operas...
. The idea of using disc jockey Chuck Niles as "the spirit of Duke Ellington" is pretty hokey and the original music owes little to Ellington, Handy or Joplin; everything is in Horace Silver's own style. But there are some swinging moments on this well-intentioned set".
Track listing
- All compositions and lyrics by Horace Silver
- "Message from the Maestro Part 1"
- "Message from the Maestro Part 2"
- "Message from the Maestro Part 3"
- "In Tribute Part 1"
- "In Tribute Part 2"
- "In Tribute Part 3"
- Recorded in NYC on March 25, 1985.
Personnel
- Horace SilverHorace SilverHorace Silver , born Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silva in Norwalk, Connecticut, is an American jazz pianist and composer....
- pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Carl SaundersCarl SaundersCarl Saunders, born , is a jazz trumpeter, composer and educator who worked with Stan Kenton, Buddy Rich, Bill Holman and Clare Fischer. Trombone player Carl Fontana once called Saunders "the best trumpet player you've never heard."- Origins :...
- flugelhornFlugelhornThe flugelhorn is a brass instrument resembling a trumpet but with a wider, conical bore. Some consider it to be a member of the saxhorn family developed by Adolphe Sax ; however, other historians assert that it derives from the valve bugle designed by Michael Saurle , Munich 1832 , thus... - Buddy ColletteBuddy ColletteWilliam Marcel "Buddy" Collette was an American tenor saxophonist, flautist, and clarinetist. He was highly influential in the West coast jazz and West Coast blues mediums, also collaborating with saxophonist Dexter Gordon, drummer Chico Hamilton, and his lifelong friend, bassist Charles...
, Ray Pizzi, Ernie WattsErnie WattsErnest James "Ernie" Watts is an American jazz and rhythm and blues musician. He plays saxophone and flute. He might be best known for his work with Charlie Haden's Quartet West and his Grammy Awards as an instrumentalist...
, Don MenzaDon MenzaDon Menza is an American saxophonist, arranger, composer, session musician, and jazz educator noted for his many contributions to American jazz and big band music. -Early years:...
- fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening... - Bob MaizeBob MaizeBob Maize was an American jazz double-bassist.Maize played piano from age seven and switched to bass at 13. After moving to San Francisco in 1963, Maize worked in the house bands of many jazz clubs in the city, including Soulville and Bop City...
- bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2... - Carl Burnette - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Andy BeyAndy BeyAndrew W. Bey is a jazz singer and pianist.Bey has a wide vocal range, with his four octave baritone voice.He worked on a television show, Startime, with Connie Francis and sang for Louis Jordan....
, Maxine Waters, Julia Waters - vocals - Chuck NilesChuck NilesChuck Niles was a well-known jazz disc jockey who became the only jazz DJ to be on the Hollywood Walk of Fame....
- narration - Los Angeles Modern String Orchestra, William Henderson - conductor