Ray Shulman

Who is Ray Shulman?

Raymond Shulman is a British musician, and the youngest of three brothers in progressive rock band, Gentle Giant.

Born in Portsmouth, Shulman's father was a trumpet player in a jazz band, and that was the first instrument he learned to play. He went on to learn violin and guitar, and was primed for the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, but his brother Derek convinced him to join his band Simon Dupree and the Big Sound, which later evolved into Gentle Giant.

During Shulman's recording days in the band as a bass guitarist, his virtuosity often compared to popular players such as Yes' Chris Squire. Yet, like Genesis' Mike Rutherford, Shulman was quite adept at other instruments as well. Similar to the role of the rhythmist in the art-rock band Family, Shulman sometimes doubled on violin, recorder, trumpet, acoustic and electric guitars. Shulman and keyboardist-bandmate Kerry Minnear composed or co-wrote much of the music for Gentle Giant.

Shulman was in Gentle Giant from the beginning in 1970 to the last tour in 1980. He would go on to become a record producer in the late 1980s and 1990s, working with The Sugarcubes, The Sundays and Ian McCulloch among others.