Ruth Underwood

Ruth Underwood
Ruth Underwood playing at a Frank Zappa concert, ca. 1978
Background information
Birth name	Ruth Komanoff
Born	(1946-05-23) 23 May 1946 (age 70)
Genres	Jazz-rock/rock
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer
Instruments	Xylophone, marimba, vibraphone, harp, piano, synthesizer
Years active	1967–1982
Labels	Philips Records,
Associated acts	Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention

Ruth Underwood (born Ruth Komanoff, May 23, 1946) is a retired professional musician, best known for playing xylophone, marimba, vibraphone and other percussion instruments in Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention.

Underwood played with Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention from 1967 to 1977.

Underwood began her music training in the classical tradition, studying both at Ithaca College under Warren Benson and under Saul Goodman 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 association with Zappa beginning in December 1967.

Using both her birth name, Ruth Komanoff and her stage name, Underwood also appeared on drums with a rock group named The Hamilton Face Band during 1969, appearing on some of their recordings released by Philips Records and Bell Records. She married fellow Zappa musician Ian Underwood in May 1969. They divorced in 1986.

Underwood went on to perform in over twenty Zappa/Mothers recordings. Examples of her virtuosity can be heard on tracks including the "Rollo Interior interlude" from "St. Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast", from the Apostrophe (') album (1974). Equally impressive work is documented on Roxy & Elsewhere (1974) and on "Inca Roads", the opening track on One Size Fits All (1975). Some glimpses of Underwood in action can be seen in the Zappa movie 200 Motels (1971), and the Dub Room Special DVD, which includes performances from the KCET Special A Token Of His Extreme. She also features in the film of the Roxy performances.