From the ashes of Simon Dupree & The Big Sound, Derek, Ray & Phil Shulman formed Gentle Giant and changed the face of progressive music forever. A key element of their sound was keyboardist/composer Kerry Minnear. His instantly recognizable playing was a hallmark of the band's distinctive sound. Coinciding with a series of Gentle Giant remasters on Derek Shulman's DRT label, Kerry Minnear generously granted ProgSheet a brief but revealing interview...

PS: What was the first instrument you ever owned?

KM: A secondhand drum kit that my folks bought for me when I was around 10 yrs old. I promptly set it up incorrectly & learnt with left footed bass drum which proved a bit of a disadvantage in the years to come.

PS: What instruments, if any, do you currently play?

KM: I play piano, drums & guitar for compositional ideas & keyboards & bass guitar when gigging with friends.

PS: How did you first meet the Shulmans?

KM: A friend of mine from my home town in Dorset was dodging with Phil at the time the brothers were folding Simon Dupree. Phil was told I had just finished a music degree in composition & they phoned me up. I auditioned & was invited to join the new band. I had no other plans & it was a great opportunity for me.

PS: The song Interview includes the line: "After the 4th one, realization." What was the realization?

KM: I don’t really know. These were (as usual) Derek’s lyrics & I can’t be sure what he meant. It was after the 4th album that Phil left & we changed management so there may be a link there.

PS: What do you feel that Derek & Ray each brought into the band as writers?

KM: Ray & I worked to develop ideas & get them off the ground musically. We would spend some time independently getting initial ‘bits’ & then play them to each other & encourage & help each other develop the bits further, sometimes contributing to each others work. Derek would often be involved in giving direction & vocal lines & it was always his job to get the lyrical content.

PS: In what way did Phil's departure change the dynamics of Gentle Giant?

KM: Phil is creative & well read & was responsible I think in the main for drawing inspiration from literature for the earlier albums. After he left Derek took the lyrics in more personal direction.