Ruth Underwood

Ruth Underwood (* May 23, 1946 as Ruth Komanoff ) is an American percussionist. She plays marimba, vibraphone, xylophone and the full range of percussion instruments, as well as keyboards and harp. She became famous through her work with Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. She has since retired from the music business to private life.

Ruth Komanoff studied at Ithaca College, New York, in Warren Benson. " Under his guidance, I learned how important it is to communicate with the heart ", the Percussive Arts Society, the impressions of former music student there again. According to this study Komanoff Ruth moved to the Juilliard School of Dance, Drama and Music, New York, where she received her degree as a percussionist in 1967.

By chance she met in 1968, Frank Zappa, whose shows had seen in New York's Garrick Theatre several times. When Ruth and her brother were on their way to a Miles Davis concert, Zappa ran them on the road. Her brother spoke to him, and she, like the Zappa biographer Barry Miles reported, " prefers the ground sunk " would be. Too late. Zappa hired the talented percussionist. On the album Uncle Meat (1969 ) they will be heard for the first time. Many other recordings with Frank Zappa and the Mothers should follow up to the year 1976.

Sound the breathtaking perfection of this virtuoso musician found, inter alia on the albums Over- Nite Sensation, Apostrophe, Roxy & Elsewhere and One Size Fits All. Ruth Underwood also acted in the TV - production "A Token of his Extreme " with - a live recording of a concert from 1974 for KCET - TV special on the Culver City studio, Los Angeles, the ZDF in 1970 / 80s has aired twice.

The Mothers, she met the keyboardist Ian Underwood know. In 1970 they married. Marriage is now divorced.

Since 1975, Ruth Underwood was only sporadically worked for Zappa, until they almost completely gave up playing music in the spring of 1977. Other recordings on which they collaborated, there are from the Hamilton Face band Ambrosia, George Duke, Alphonso Johnson, Billy Cobham and Jasun Martz.

Your last School and her first teacher in the musical field (see above) is Komanoff Ruth Underwood - as they call themselves today - still connected. In 1987 and 2003 she donated a total of three prizes in conducting and composition, promising young musicians to make the start.

Shortly before his death in 1993, Frank Zappa, Ruth Underwood Komanoff called again to take with you samples of various percussion instruments. In a BBC interview in 1993, the musician said: "This was truly a miracle for me - that I might have to work with him again and still something to offer. "

Discography (selection)

  • The Mothers Of Invention Uncle Meat - 1969
  • Hamilton Face Band: Is not Got No Time - 1970
  • The Mothers: Over- Nite Sensation - 1973
  • Frank Zappa: Apostrophe (') - 1974
  • Zappa / Mothers: Roxy & Elsewhere - 1974
  • Frank Zappa And The Mothers Of Invention: One Size Fits All - 1975
  • Ambrosia: Ambrosia - 1975
  • George Duke: I Love The Blues, She Heard My Cry - 1976
  • Frank Zappa: Zoot Allures - 1976
  • George Duke: Liberated Fantasies - 1976
  • Ambrosia Somewhere I've Never Travelled - 1976
  • Alphonso Johnson: Yesterday's Dreams - 1977
  • Billy Cobham: Inner Conflicts - 1977
  • Frank Zappa: Zappa In New York - 1978
  • Jasun Martz: The Pillory - 1978
Over-Nite Sensation One Size Fits All (Frank Zappa album) Ambrosia (Band)
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