What was the role of the basso continuo in Baroque music?

The use of basso continuo, or figured bass, is prominent in this era. The harpsichord, cellos, basses and bassoons (if present) would read off the same line of music. There would be numbers written beneath the line to allow the harpsichordist to fill out the harmony, as different combinations of numbers referred to different chords in varying inversions. This provided the harmonic and rhythmic foundation of the piece, similar to a rhythm section in jazz.