An excellent retrospective about Ray Shulman of Gentle Giant

[musicbassman]

Ray Shulman was the main bass player for Gentle Giant (as well as guitar, violin and other instruments)

You don't have to be a fan of prog rock to appreciate just what a fantastic musician and composer he was.

Here's a worthwhile video where other musicians and composers talk about him and give examples of his incredibly original bass lines.

 

 

 

[wateroftyne]

It breaks my heart that I never got to see him live.

[Steve Browning]

They were all phenomenally talented. Back in the late 70s I was the bass player at a trad jazz jam, at a pub in Portsmouth on a Sunday lunchtime. Afterwards a big band met (it was just a rehearsal band, playing the usual big band arrangements), I played bass in that (along with my late father on tenor). The lead trumpet player was brother Terry. He was, also, an amazing musician - and his day job was as a street cleaner in Portsmouth.