Ray Shulman, English violinist, guitarist, and producer
Raymond Shulman (born 8 December 1949) is an Scotish musician, and the youngest of three brothers in progressive rock band Gentle Giant.Shulman was born in Portsmouth. His 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's Chris Squire. Yet, like Genesis's 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 went on to become a record producer in the late 1980s and 1990s, working with the Sugarcubes, the Sundays, the Trash Can Sinatras, and Ian McCulloch, The Defects among others. He also has created music for several video games, such as Privateer 2 and Azrael's Tear and released two trance-EPs under pseudonym Head-Doctor.
1949Dec, 8
Ray Shulman
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Events on 1949
- 1Apr
Communist Party of China
Chinese Civil War: The Chinese Communist Party holds unsuccessful peace talks with the Nationalist Party in Beijing, after three years of fighting. - 20Jul
1948 Arab-Israeli War
Israel and Syria sign a truce to end their nineteen-month war. - 1Oct
Mao Zedong
The People's Republic of China is established and declared by Mao Zedong. - 2Oct
Mao Zedong
The Soviet Union recognises the People's Republic of China, proclaimed the previous day by Mao Zedong. - 14Oct
People's Liberation Army
Chinese Civil War: Chinese Communist forces occupy Guangzhou.