Ray Shulman Obituary
My friend Ray Shulman, who died at age 73, was an adventurous songwriter, musician, and producer.
He was born in Portsmouth to Louis Shulman and Rebecca Laufer and attended Portsmouth Technical High School. At first he aspired to be a jazz trumpeter like his father, then wanted to join the National Youth Orchestra, but in 1966 he was persuaded to join his older brother Derek's R&B group, Simon Dupre and the Big Sound. Their career, with a psychedelic rhythm set, experienced ups and downs when Ray was still a teenager, but the group soon reinvented itself as a groovy behemoth, a highly-skilled multi-instrumental group that blended medieval, baroque, folk, jazz and fusion. Integration. They did the fun horror rock stuff.
The band's music is chart-challenging, catchy and a concert audience delight. A key element of the show was Ray's powerful but always beautiful bass and brilliant violin (which was often rocked by the hall's innovative sound system).
In the year after one such show in Cleveland in 1973, a photographer, Barbara Tanner, left Rayne in the charging circle and joked that if he wasn't found, she would send him to his mother. Tan and Ray have been a couple ever since, getting married in 1981.
In the year after the gentle giant's death in 1980, Ray enjoyed a creative renaissance as a prolific producer of alternative pop. He has played bass for many independent acts, including Björk the Sugarcubes and his favorite AR K. He became a tech genius, developed video games, released a 12-inch tech CD called Head Doctor, produced DVDs for bands like New Order and Queen, and created commercials for Nike.
Roy's lack of interest brought back fans who let Gentle Giant down as a prog. It is true that he was moved, but his isolation was not rejected. "I'm sorry to give the impression that I'm not a Gigi fan," he said. "I loved our time and I love that it's still remembered, especially when it shows up with hip-hop acts." Directed by Ray's nephew Noah, the heartwarming YouTube commercial celebrates the enduring spirit of music in the age of the Covid lockdown, with many young fans and former band members alike. Ray had long since given up the fiddle, but with a soft smile he put on a pair of banjos.
Tan and his brothers Derek and Phil.
