Ian Robertson Underwood (born May 22, 1939) is a woodwind and keyboards player, known for his work with

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by nonconformity, free-form improvisation, sound experiments, musical virtuosity and satire of A ...

and

the Mothers of Invention The Mothers of Invention (also known as The Mothers) was an American rock band from California. Formed in 1964, their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Originally an R&B band ...

Biography

Underwood graduated from The Choate School in 1957 and

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

with a bachelor's degree in composition in 1961 and a master's degree in composition at

UC Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of Californi ...

in 1966. He began his career by playing San Francisco Bay Area coffeehouses and bars with his improvisational group, the Jazz Mice, in the mid-1960s before he became a member of Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention in 1967 for their third studio album, '' We're Only in It for the Money''. He speaks on '' Uncle Meat''; on the track "Ian Underwood Whips It Out" he relates how he first met Zappa and demonstrated his capabilities on the saxophone at Zappa's invitation. Underwood later worked with Frank Zappa on his solo recordings, including 1969's '' Hot Rats''. He married Ruth Komanoff (Underwood), marimbist/percussionist from the Mothers of Invention in May 1969. Underwood left the Mothers of Invention in September 1973. He and Ruth divorced in 1986. After his association with Frank Zappa, he pursued a career as a session keyboardist. Underwood has since been proficient on the Minimoog synthesizer, mostly in film. He has been credited in recordings for

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...

, Ronee Blakley, Hugh Cornwell, Freddie Hubbard, Jean-Luc Ponty, Herb Alpert,

Hugh Masekela Hugh Ramapolo Masekela (4 April 1939 – 23 January 2018) was a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, singer and composer who was described as "the father of South African jazz". Masekela was known for his jazz compositions and fo ...

Peggy Lee Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress, over a career spanning seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalis ...

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...

, Dave Grusin,

Jefferson Airplane Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, that became one of the pioneering bands of psychedelic rock. Formed in 1965, the group defined the San Francisco Sound and was the first from the Bay Area to ach ...

, Frankie Valli, the Carpenters, James Ingram, and

Barry Manilow Barry Manilow (born Barry Alan Pincus; June 17, 1943) is an American singer and songwriter with a career that spans seven decades. His hit recordings include "Could It Be Magic", " Somewhere Down the Road", " Mandy", "I Write the Songs", " Can ...

. Underwood was also one of the musicians who played the main title theme for the 1980s hit series '' Knight Rider''. Underwood was the uncredited producer of the debut album by

Alice Cooper Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guilloti ...

, '' Pretties For You'', in 1969. Underwood contributed synthesizers and programming to the historic recording of the

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

Lionel Richie Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of funk band the Commodores; writing and recor ...

single " We Are the World" (produced by

in 1985); he has also been a featured performer (mostly on keyboard) with

James Horner James Roy Horner (August 14, 1953 – June 22, 2015) was an American composer. He was known for the integration of choral and electronic elements, and for his frequent use of motifs associated with Celtic music. Horner's first film score was i ...

on numerous James Horner film scores including ''

Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, Unite ...

'' (1997) and ''

Sneakers Sneakers (also called trainers, athletic shoes, tennis shoes, gym shoes, kicks, sport shoes, flats, running shoes, or runners) are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise, but which are now also widely used fo ...

'' (1992).

Discography

Lenox School of Jazz Concert, 1959 w/

Ornette Coleman Randolph Denard Ornette Coleman (March 9, 1930 – June 11, 2015) was an American jazz saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter, and composer known as a principal founder of the free jazz genre, a term derived from his 1960 album '' Free Jazz: A Col ...

, Herb Pomeroy With

The Mothers of Invention The Mothers of Invention (also known as The Mothers) was an American rock band from California. Formed in 1964, their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Originally an R&B band ...

*'' We're Only in It for the Money'' (1968) *''

Cruising with Ruben & the Jets ''Cruising with Ruben & the Jets'' is the fourth studio album by the Mothers of Invention, released under the alias Ruben and the Jets. Released on December 2, 1968 on Bizarre and Verve Records with distribution by MGM Records, it is a concept al ...

'' (1968) *'' Uncle Meat'' (1969) *'' Hot Rats'' (1969) *''

Burnt Weeny Sandwich ''Burnt Weeny Sandwich'' is the sixth studio album by the American rock band the Mothers of Invention, and the ninth overall by Frank Zappa, released in 1970. It consists of both studio recordings and live elements. In contrast to the next album ...

'' (1970) *''

Weasels Ripped My Flesh ''Weasels Ripped My Flesh'' is the seventh studio album by the American rock group the Mothers of Invention, and the tenth overall by Frank Zappa, released in 1970. It is the second album released after the Mothers disbanded in 1969, preceded by ' ...

'' (1970) *'' Chunga's Revenge'' (1970) *'' Fillmore East - June 1971'' (1971) *''

200 Motels ''200 Motels'' is a 1971 surrealist musical film written and directed by Frank Zappa and Tony Palmer, and featuring music by Zappa. An international co-production of United States and the United Kingdom, the film stars the Mothers of Invention, T ...

'' (1971) *'' Just Another Band from L.A.'' (1971) *'' Over-Nite Sensation'' (1973) *''

Apostrophe The apostrophe ( or ) is a punctuation mark, and sometimes a diacritical mark, in languages that use the Latin alphabet and some other alphabets. In English, the apostrophe is used for two basic purposes: * The marking of the omission of one ...

'' (1974) *'' Zoot Allures'' (1976) *'' Orchestral Favorites'' (1979) With Sandy Hurvitz *''Sandy's Album Is Here At Least'' (Bizarre, 1968) With

Captain Beefheart Don Van Vliet (; born Don Glen Vliet; January 15, 1941 – December 17, 2010) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. Conducting a rotating ensemble known as Th ...

*'' Trout Mask Replica'' (Straight, 1969) With

*'' Pretties for You'' (Straight, 1969) With Jean-Luc Ponty *'' King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa'' (World Pacific/Liberty, 1970) With Freddie Hubbard *'' High Energy'' (Columbia, 1974) *'' Liquid Love'' (Columbia, 1975) With

* '' Mellow Madness'' (A&M, 1975) * '' Roots'' (A&M, 1977) * '' The Dude'' (A&M, 1981) * '' Back on the Block'' (Qwest/Warner Bros, 1989) With

Gábor Szabó Gábor István Szabó (March 8, 1936 – February 26, 1982) was a Hungarian American guitarist whose style incorporated jazz, pop, rock, and Hungarian music. Early years Szabó was born in Budapest, Hungary. He began playing guitar at the ag ...

*'' Macho'' (Salvation, 1975) With

Alphonse Mouzon Alphonse Lee Mouzon (November 21, 1948 – December 25, 2016) was an American jazz fusion drummer and the owner of Tenacious Records, a label that primarily released Mouzon's recordings. He was a composer, arranger, producer, and actor. He g ...

*'' The Man Incognito'' (Blue Note, 1975) With Porter Wagoner and

*''

Say Forever You'll Be Mine ''Say Forever You'll Be Mine'' is the twelfth collaborative studio album by Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton. It was released on August 18, 1975, by RCA Victor. It would be their last album of new material together until 1980. Critical reception ...

'' (RCA Victor, 1975) With Flo & Eddie *''

Illegal, Immoral and Fattening ''Illegal, Immoral and Fattening'' is a 1975 comedy rock album recorded by Howard Kaylan ("Eddie") and Mark Volman ("Flo"). A majority of the album comes from live recordings, including three songs that first appeared in the 1974 film ''Down and D ...

'' (Columbia, 1975) *'' Moving Targets'' (Columbia, 1976) With Spirit *'' Farther Along'' (Mercury, 1976) With Carmen McRae *'' Can't Hide Love'' (Blue Note, 1976) With Seawind *''Seawind'' (CTI, 1976) With

Alphonso Johnson Alphonso Johnson (born February 2, 1951) is an American jazz bassist active since the early 1970s. Johnson was a member of the jazz fusion group Weather Report from 1973 to 1975, and has performed and recorded with numerous high-profile rock ...

*''Moonshadows'' (1976) With Chunky, Novi & Ernie *''Chunky, Novi, & Ernie'' (Warner Bros, 1977) With Ambrosia *'' Somewhere I've Never Travelled'' (20th Century Fox, 1978) With

Lalo Schifrin Boris Claudio "Lalo" Schifrin (born June 21, 1932) is an Argentine-American pianist, composer, arranger and conductor. He is best known for his large body of film and TV scores since the 1950s, incorporating jazz and Latin American musical eleme ...

*'' Gypsies'' (Tabu, 1978) *'' No One Home'' (Tabu, 1979) With Herb Alpert *'' Herb Alpert / Hugh Masekela'' (Horizon, 1978) With

*''

Songbird A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds ( Passeriformes). Another name that is sometimes seen as the scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin ''oscen'', "songbird". The Passeriformes contains 50 ...

'' (Columbia, 1978) With

* '' Close Enough for Love'' (1979) With

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

*'' Chicago XIV'' (Columbia, 1980) With

*''

'' (A&M, 1982)

*''

Jefferson Airplane Loves You ''Jefferson Airplane Loves You'' is a three-CD boxed set of recordings by the San Francisco rock band Jefferson Airplane with extensive liner notes by Jeff Tamarkin, author of the Jefferson Airplane history ''Got a Revolution: The Turbulent Fligh ...

'' (1992) Some of his work on Film Scores *2010 '' The Karate Kid'' (synthesizer programmer) *2009 ''

Avatar Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appeara ...

'' (synthesizer programmer) *2008 '' The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas'' (synthesizer programmer) *2008 ''

The Spiderwick Chronicles ''The Spiderwick Chronicles'' is a series of children's fantasy books by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. They chronicle the adventures of the Grace children, twins Simon and Jared and their older sister Mallory, after they move into the Spider ...

'' (music score programmer) *2007 '' The Life Before Her Eyes'' (music score programmer) *2006 ''

Apocalypto ''Apocalypto'' () is a 2006 action adventure film produced, co-written, and directed by Mel Gibson. The film features a cast of Native American and Indigenous Mexican actors consisting of Rudy Youngblood, Raoul Trujillo, Mayra Sérbulo, Dal ...

'' (musician: synthesizer programming) *2006 '' All the King's Men'' (synthesizer programmer) *2005 '' The New World'' (synthesizer programmer) *2004 '' Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius'' (synthesizer programmer) *2001 ''I Iris'' (synthesizer programmer) *1998 '' Mighty Joe Young'' (musician) *1997 ''

'' (musician: instrumental solo) *1995 '' Braveheart'' (instrumental soloist: synth programming, London Symphony Orchestra) *1993 '' Bopha!'' (musician) *1993 '' House of Cards'' (featured musician) *1993 '' Jack the Bear'' (musician) *1992 ''

'' (musician) *1991 ''

Class Action A class action, also known as a class-action lawsuit, class suit, or representative action, is a type of lawsuit where one of the parties is a group of people who are represented collectively by a member or members of that group. The class action ...

'' (musician) *1991 '' My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys'' (musician: instrumental solo) *1989 '' Field of Dreams'' (musician: instrumental solo) *1989 '' Honey, I Shrunk the Kids'' (synthesizer programming and performance) *1989 '' Winter People'' (musician: keyboards) *1988 ''

Red Heat The practice of using colours to determine the temperature of a piece of (usually) ferrous metal comes from blacksmithing. Long before thermometers were widely available it was necessary to know what state the metal was in for heat treating it ...

'' (musician) *1988 ''

Willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist ...

'' (musician:

Fairlight Fairlight may refer to: In places: * Fairlight, East Sussex, a village east of Hastings in southern England, UK * Fairlight, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia * Fairlight, Saskatchewan, Canada In other uses: * Fairlight (company), an ...

synthesizer) *1987 '' No Way Out'' (musician – as Ian R. Underwood) *1986 ''

The Mosquito Coast The Mosquito Coast The Mosquito Coast, also known as the Mosquitia or Mosquito Shore, historically included the area along the eastern coast of present-day Nicaragua and Honduras. It formed part of the Western Caribbean Zone. It was named afte ...

'' (musician: synthesizers) *1986 ''

The Name of the Rose ''The Name of the Rose'' ( it, Il nome della rosa ) is the 1980 debut novel by Italian author Umberto Eco. It is a historical murder mystery set in an Italian monastery in the year 1327, and an intellectual mystery combining semiotics in fiction ...

'' (synthesizer programmer) *1986 ''

Aliens Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, intelligent extrat ...

'' (synthesizer effects) *1983 '' Krull'' (synthesizer effects) *1983 '' Brainstorm'' (synthesizer effects) *1982 ''

Blade Runner ''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, and written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick ...

'' (musician: synthesizer) *1979 '' The Warriors'' (musician: synthesizer) *1977 '' Demon Seed'' (electronic performances) *1976 '' Marathon Man'' (musician: keyboards – uncredited) *1971 ''

'' (music performer: Mothers of Invention)

References

External links

Complete discography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Underwood, Ian The Mothers of Invention members American multi-instrumentalists 1939 births Living people Choate Rosemary Hall alumni