Silver 'n Strings Play the Music of the Spheres
Encyclopedia
Silver 'n Strings Play the Music of the Spheres is an album by jazz
pianist
Horace Silver
, his final released on the Blue Note
label, featuring performances by Silver with Tom Harrell
, Larry Schneider
, Ron Carter
, and Al Foster
, with vocals by Gregory Hines
, Brenda Alford, Carol Lynn Maillard
, and Chapman Roberts, and an overdubbed string section conducted by Wade Marcus
. The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow
awarded the album 2 stars and states "He was never as strong a lyricist as he was a composer and pianist so the vocals weigh down the music a bit. The songtitles probably kept a few of these pieces from becoming better-known".
Side One:
Side Two:
Side Three:
Side Four:
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 final released on the Blue Note
Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
label, featuring performances by Silver with Tom Harrell
Tom Harrell
Tom Harrell is a renowned American post-bop jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, composer and arranger.-Biography:Tom Harrell was born in Urbana, Illinois but moved to the San Francisco Bay Area at the age of five. He started playing trumpet at eight and within five years, started playing gigs with...
, Larry Schneider
Larry Schneider
Lawrence "Larry" Schneider, PC is a Canadian politician.Born in Regina, Saskatchewan, he was mayor of Regina from 1979 until 1988. In the 1988 federal election, he was elected as a Progressive Conservative candidate in the riding of Regina—Wascana...
, Ron Carter
Ron Carter
Ron Carter is an American jazz double-bassist. His appearances on over 2,500 albums make him one of the most-recorded bassists in jazz history, along with Milt Hinton, Ray Brown and Leroy Vinnegar. Carter is also an acclaimed cellist who has recorded numerous times on that...
, and Al Foster
Al Foster
Al Foster is an American jazz drummer. Foster played with Miles Davis's large funk fusion group in the 70s, was one of the few people to have contact with Miles during his retirement, and was also part of his comeback album The Man With the Horn of 1981...
, with vocals by Gregory Hines
Gregory Hines
Gregory Oliver Hines was an American actor, singer, dancer and choreographer.-Early years:Born in New York City, Hines and his older brother Maurice started dancing at an early age, studying with choreographer Henry LeTang...
, Brenda Alford, Carol Lynn Maillard
Carol Lynn Maillard
Carol Lynn Maillard is an African American actress, singer and composer. She was one of the founding members of the a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock.-Early life and education:...
, and Chapman Roberts, and an overdubbed string section conducted by Wade Marcus
Wade Marcus
Wade Marcus was a producer during the 1970s. He composed the music to the film The Final Comedown with Grant Green. He also produced albums by The Blackbyrds, Gary Bartz, A Taste of Honey, The Sylvers, Eddie Kendricks, The Dramatics, Peaches & Herb, Donald Byrd, G. C...
. 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 "He was never as strong a lyricist as he was a composer and pianist so the vocals weigh down the music a bit. The songtitles probably kept a few of these pieces from becoming better-known".
Track listing
- All compositions and lyrics by Horace Silver
Side One:
- "(The Physical Sphere) The Soul and It's Expression Part One: The Search for Direction" -
- "(The Physical Sphere) The Soul and It's Expression Part Two: Direction Discovered" -
- "(The Physical Sphere) The Soul and It's Expression Part Three: We All Have a Part to Play" -
Side Two:
- "(The Physical Sphere - continued) The Soul and It's Progress Throughout the Spheres Part One: Self Portrait No. 1 (Written 1973)" -
- "(The Physical Sphere - continued) The Soul and It's Progress Throughout the Spheres Part Two: Self Portrait No. 2 (Written 1978)" -
- "(The Physical Sphere - continued) The Soul and It's Progress Throughout the Spheres Part Three: Self Portrait of the Aspiring Self (Written 1978)" -
- "(The Mental Sphere - Conscious Mind) The Soul's Awareness of It's Character Part One: Character Analysis" -
- "(The Mental Sphere - Conscious Mind) The Soul's Awareness of It's Character Part Two: Negative Patterns of the Subconscious" -
- "(The Mental Sphere - Conscious Mind) The Soul's Awareness of It's Character Part Three: The Conscious and It's Desire for Change" -
Side Three:
- "(The Mental Sphere - Sub-Conscious Mind) The Pygmalion Process Part One: Inner Feelings" -
- "(The Mental Sphere - Sub-Conscious Mind) The Pygmalion Process Part Two: Friends" -
- "(The Mental Sphere - Sub-Conscious Mind) The Pygmalion Process Part Three: Empathy" -
- "(The Mental Sphere - Sub-Conscious Mind) The Pygmalion Process Part Four: Optimism" -
- "(The Mental Sphere - Sub-Conscious Mind) The Pygmalion Process Part Five: Expansion" -
Side Four:
- "(The Spiritual Sphere) The Soul in Communion with the Creator Part One: Communion with the Creator" -
- "(The Spiritual Sphere) The Soul in Communion with the Creator Part Two: The Creator Guides Us" -
- "(The Spiritual Sphere) The Soul in Communion with the Creator Part Three: Progress, Through Dedication and Discipline" -
- "(The Spiritual Sphere) The Soul in Communion with the Creator Part Four: We Expect Positive Results" -
- Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, November 3, 1978 (Side One), November 10, 1978 (Side Four), October 26, 1979 (Side Three), November 2, 1979 (Side Two) with strings recorded on December 10, 1979.
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...
, arranger - Tom HarrellTom HarrellTom Harrell is a renowned American post-bop jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, composer and arranger.-Biography:Tom Harrell was born in Urbana, Illinois but moved to the San Francisco Bay Area at the age of five. He started playing trumpet at eight and within five years, started playing gigs with...
- trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air... - Larry SchneiderLarry SchneiderLawrence "Larry" Schneider, PC is a Canadian politician.Born in Regina, Saskatchewan, he was mayor of Regina from 1979 until 1988. In the 1988 federal election, he was elected as a Progressive Conservative candidate in the riding of Regina—Wascana...
- tenor saxophoneTenor saxophoneThe tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble... - Ron CarterRon CarterRon Carter is an American jazz double-bassist. His appearances on over 2,500 albums make him one of the most-recorded bassists in jazz history, along with Milt Hinton, Ray Brown and Leroy Vinnegar. Carter is also an acclaimed cellist who has recorded numerous times on that...
- 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... - Al FosterAl FosterAl Foster is an American jazz drummer. Foster played with Miles Davis's large funk fusion group in the 70s, was one of the few people to have contact with Miles during his retirement, and was also part of his comeback album The Man With the Horn of 1981...
- 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 .... - Gregory HinesGregory HinesGregory Oliver Hines was an American actor, singer, dancer and choreographer.-Early years:Born in New York City, Hines and his older brother Maurice started dancing at an early age, studying with choreographer Henry LeTang...
- vocals (Side One) - Brenda Alford, Carol Lynn MaillardCarol Lynn MaillardCarol Lynn Maillard is an African American actress, singer and composer. She was one of the founding members of the a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock.-Early life and education:...
, Chapman Roberts - vocals (Side Three)
- Guy Lumia - concertmasterConcertmasterThe concertmaster/mistress is the spalla or leader, of the first violin section of an orchestra. In the UK, the term commonly used is leader...
- Aaron RosandAaron RosandAaron Rosand is an American violinist.Born in Hammond, Indiana, he studied with Leon Sametini at the Chicago Musical College and with Efrem Zimbalist at the Curtis Institute of Music, where he has taught since 1981...
, Marvin Morganstern, Paul Winter, Lewis Eley, Peter Dimitriades, Louann Montesi, Harry Glickman - violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello.... - Harold Coletta, Harry Zaratzian, Seymour Berman, Theodore Israel - violaViolaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
- Seymour BarabSeymour BarabSeymour Barab is an American composer, organist, pianist,. He is known for his fairy tale operas for young audiences, such as Chanticleer and Little Red Riding Hood. He is a long time member of the Philip Glass Ensemble.-References:**-External links:*...
, Jonathan Abramowitz - celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is... - Gene Bianco - harpHarpThe harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
- Wade MarcusWade MarcusWade Marcus was a producer during the 1970s. He composed the music to the film The Final Comedown with Grant Green. He also produced albums by The Blackbyrds, Gary Bartz, A Taste of Honey, The Sylvers, Eddie Kendricks, The Dramatics, Peaches & Herb, Donald Byrd, G. C...
- arranger, conductor - Dale OehlerDale OehlerDale Dixon Oehler is primarily known as an arranger. His style contributed to the success of much of the music he was involved with over his career...
- arranger