- Ruth Underwood
Infobox Musical artist
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Name = Ruth Underwood
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Genre =Jazz-Rock /Rock
Years_active = 1969—1982
Label = Various
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Notable_instruments =Ruth Underwood (born Ruth Komanoff on
May 23 ,1946 ) is a retired professional musician, best known for playingxylophone ,marimba ,vibraphone and otherpercussion instruments inFrank Zappa 'sMothers of Invention from 1969 to 1977.A percussionist of unusual training, Ruth Underwood began her music training in the classical tradition, studying both at Ithaca College under Warren Benson and at Juilliard. Throughout 1967, she kept a regular attendance at the Garrick Theater in New York City when Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention was the resident band, resulting in her membership as a Mother beginning in 1968.
As Ruth Komanoff and Ruth Underwood she also appeared on drums with a rock group named
The Hamilton Face Band during 1969, appearing on some of their recordings released byPhilips Records and Bell Records. She married fellow Zappa musicianIan Underwood in 1970.Underwood went on to perform in over ten Zappa/Mothers recordings. Examples of her virtuosity can be heard on such tracks as the Rollo Interior interlude from St. Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast, from the
Apostrophe (') album (1973). Equally impressive work is documented onRoxy & Elsewhere (1974) and onInca Roads , the opening track onOne Size Fits All (1975). Some glimpses of Underwood in action can be seen in the Zappa movie200 Motels (1969) and the film of the Roxy performance.Sessions for a small number of other performers were undertaken by Underwood during the 1970s, most notably
Jasun Martz , the band Ambrosia and jazz-keyboardistGeorge Duke . She used the name Amanda B. Reconwith for contractual reasons. By some accounts (which are vague), she retired from music by the beginning of 1980, concentrating instead on her family. However, in a 1993 interview she revealed that one final session for Zappa was undertaken shortly before his death from cancer in December of that year.Movies
*
200 Motels
*Baby Snakes
*The Dub Room Special
*The Amazing Mr. Bickford
*Video From Hell
*The True Story of Frank Zappa's 200 Motels External links
*Allmusicguide|id=11:0zfuxqwgldae~T4
*Allmusicguide|id=11:fjfyxqe5ldfe~T4|label=Ruth Komanoff
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