Ray Shulman Obituary
My friend Ray Shulman, who has died aged 73, was an enterprising composer, musician and producer.
He was born in Portsmouth to Louis Shulman and Rebecca Laufer and attended Portsmouth Technical School. At first he seemed destined to be a jazz trumpeter like his father, then he made his way to the National Youth Orchestra, but in 1966 he was persuaded to join his older brother Derek's R&B group, Simon Dupree and BigSound. Their career, which peaked with the psychedelic hit Kites, faded and faded when Ray was still a teenager, but the band quickly re-emerged as gentle giants, mixing medieval, baroque, folk, jazz and rock with highly skilled multi. train drivers. . Ingredients with cheerful panache.
Too difficult to categorize, the band's music captivated and enthralled concert audiences. Ray's muscular yet always elegant bass and live violin (often bounced around the room for an innovative sound system) were integral to his appeal.
After one such concert in Cleveland in 1973, photographer Barbara Tanner photographed Ray outside a strip club and joked that if he didn't get along, she would send him to his mother. Tang and Ray married in 1981 and have been partners ever since.
After leaving Gentle Giant in 1980, Ray experienced a creative renaissance as an original alternative pop producer. He has produced a number of independent artists including Sugarcubes pioneer Björk and his personal favorite AR Kane, with whom he also played bass. Converting to tech geeks, he went on to write music for video games, release a techno 12-inch called Head Doctor, produce DVDs for bands like New Order and Queen, and write commercials for Nike.
Ray's lack of interest in reforming Gentle Giant as prog disappointed fans; It certainly went further, but its isolation was not denial. "Sorry to give the impression that I'm not a GG fan," he told me. "I loved our era and I love that it's still remembered, especially when it's picked up by hip-hop groups." Filmed by Roy's nephew Noah and recorded during the breakup by a younger generation of fans and former band members, Proclamation's poignant YouTube video celebrates the enduring passion of music. Satyajit had given up the violin a long time ago, but he picked up the banjo with a smile.
He is survived by Tan and his brothers, Derek and Phil.