Ruth is one of those ridiculously talented musicians that has passed the music world by unnoticed almost completely, except for mostly Zappa fans. Not only is she a killer percussionist and musician, she seems to also have an awesome personality. She is one of my top 5 Zappa musicians of all time. One of the reasons that the 73-77 bands were great, especially the 73-74 bands. If true, the following snippet from Wikipedia just shows how awesome she is: "Ruth devotes her spare time to giving free music lessons to children who could not otherwise afford to study." You're awesome Ruth!
I saw Frank Three times in concert but sadly I didn't get to see Ruth Play. Very disappointing since I was a huge fan of what I heard. However, I did get to see Billy Hulting in the Dweezil tours. He was pretty talented too.
@@markkopchak147 Cudos to you! I started listening to Zappa in early 1989 so missed out on the 1988 tour which I to this day regret immensely. Zappa was a force of nature. Say what you will of him but he managed to root out some of the best musicians the world has ever seen, AND he made a mark on the music world that is hard to beat. "Music is the best."
I love Ruth, loved to watch her perform, I saw her twice with Frank. The truth of the matter is Ruth came from the world of "legit players AKA classical musicians" where very few musicians have name recognition except amongst their peers. She is truly a phenomenal musician and was a big time fan of Frank's music and persona before being asked to audition. Timing for her could not have been better. I'm so glad they found each other.
My favorite stories that former Mothers tell are how Frank somehow knew which things you could do that they themselves didn’t believe they could, and/or didn’t want to. George Duke, another “conservatory snob” is probably the best example. He refused to touch a synthesizer or any keyboard that wasn’t a piano, so Frank bought one and put it on top of the piano within easy reach. George said he resisted the urge for a long time, but eventually reached up and pressed a key. The rest is history. He also didn’t believe he could sing, so Frank got him to play one note, then sing it. Then two notes, and so on. Before long he was singing Inca Roads, arguably the most difficult vocal Zappa ever wrote. He brought music to the world that nobody else could have, and he got a lot of it from performances his musicians never thought they could play. Absolutely remarkable.
@@jamesthe-doctor8981 You might be referring to this: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ERFUbX648S4.html where George tells a funny little story about when he first joined the Mothers. I can just picture Frank fixing him with a withering stare and saying sarcastically, "Oh, it's BENEATH you". Great stuff.
@@keithbird8910 yep, that’s exactly the one. Every interview with every former Mother always seems to point out that, although FZ needed classically trained musicians, he also had to find ways to open their minds as wide as his had always been. That phrase, “I can’t do that” probably made him laugh inside, causing him to think to himself, “you wanna bet?”😂 In George’s case with the synth, he really meant “I don’t want to do that,” while regarding his ability to sing, he meant it literally. I think Frank often took it as a challenge, and from all accounts, he always succeeded.
I'm a musician, mostly playing mandolin and Irish whistle. The complexity of this piece and her incredible talent make my brain hurt! She is one seriously smart lady!
@@MuzixMaker I'm not understanding. Ruth explains that you take a triad (1-3-5) and drop the 3rd down to 2 so it becomes (1-2-5) which would be a sus 2. I know they aren't playing the chord per say but they are playing an arpeggio of a sus2 chord. What am I not seeing?
Incredible. Frank was a musical genius, and Ruth Underwood is equally gifted as a musician. I have always admired her skills, but to hear her explanation of the harmony behind this composition just leaves me in awe... Thanks, Ruth!
@@arlingtonhynes I used to think that. I absolutely LOATHED dancing fool when it was on the air all the time. I thought he was awful. Then one day I tripped across an AMAZING guitar solo and when I went to check who was playing it -- it was HIM! I was SHOCKED. The man could PLAY. I mean REALLY play. He just chose to write some off the wall kooky stuff because I suppose he was entertained by it. But he was capable of playing DAMNED well. Have you heard Black Napkins? ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cNkl1avYXRM.html Have you seen his performance on Saturday Night Live -- I am the Slime? Back in the 70s he was telling us the media is crap. 50 years later we all know it. Have you seen him in a suit defending free speech? Man was a genius. Ahead of his time.
@@arlingtonhynes Eh, I don't know that he'd approve of it. Surprises me how some people do. But not the people who are really paying attention. And I can't speak to his albums, I don't own any. There are many songs of his that I don't care for, but many that are simply outstanding. Point being he is clearly capable of playing and writing on a high level, and he was a brilliant thinker when most people were completely blind and ignorant. Hence summary judgment: Genius.
I was very fortunate to have a master class with Ruth way back in the early 70’s. She was a true master of mallet percussion and a very genuine person. Watching this gave me chills remembering sitting not ten feet away as she demonstrated things that seemed impossible to my classmates and me.
Personally, I think it was Ruth Underwood that made the Zappa sound more than dropping the triad down 1. She plays the vibes like she’s a drummer, pianist and lead guitarist all in one.
Ruth is perhaps the most incredible musician to play with Zappa! Her parts are always totally nuts and difficult, but she could always play those with a sincere smile! Love her so much
Ruth, the public needs more of your insight and teaching. Please do more of these instructional videos! You are the only musician that I'm aware of that has actually "taught Frank." Thank you!
With all due respect, I think many if not all of the musicians that Frank gathered around him, at some point in time, taught him something. I believe his appetite for exploring new things was voracious and as such he liked to tap the minds of other creative people and share with and learn from as many as he could.
I'm impressed that the xylophone piece was written. Zappa was so precise. But the music flows like they just knew what to play. Even the drummers had to know how to read.
Please get back into the scene Ruth! Your presence on any stage with Dweez or any of the other dedicated bands, would be a lovely experience for all who admire your talent. x
Ruth Underwood and Gary Burton are underappreciated masters of an instrument that will never be considered "rock" yet added so much to the overall sound!
I love seeing her play live in the old videos!! She has so much energy and can be looking elsewhere and bouncing to the rhythm and laugh, all while still maintaining AMAZING accuracy and with so much flair! She's very intelligent and extremely talented.
When you see the old videos, it's so obvious that she was/ is basically just an uber-talented band nerd, all excited to be playing this crazy stuff like it's some sort of inside joke for musicians (which it is...). It's the enthusiasm you see, and the talent you hear. Not just Ruth, but so many of the musicians he picked up over the years.
Frank had an incredible knack for getting talent musicians to be able to play his unique music but also making use of their strengths and styles in his compositions. A master of synergy.
I can't stop watching her play, such amazing touch and dexterity she has while handling two mallets in each hand. And I can't even master eating with chopsticks...
In the mid 70’s up thru early 80’s, I was fortunate enough to see Frank & The Mothers numerous times. Ruth Underwood was and is, a monster player,..mesmerizing talent
That song is mind blowing on so many different levels. Ralph Humphrey's drumming and Ruth Underwood's playing complement each other perfectly. Ruth Underwood is a brilliant percussionist. As a drummer I'm completely amazed every time I hear it - can't rate this song highly enough. You really had to be on top of your game to play with Zappa.
@@farshimelt "3 mistakes, one for each decade I have been away from Franks music and the instrument" I find that hard to believe seeing how effortlessly she plays the parts.
@@farshimelt Nope, she said she hung up the mallets after Apostrophe - since there was no further 'UP' for her. Then Frank called when he was sick and asked her to come play for him one last time - took her two weeks to practice and get some of her chops back. You can see she is not playing as fast or furious as she did almost 50 years ago - I am a marimba player as well. But Ruth - well, her play speaks for itself!
spoke to her on the phone once during her heyday with Frank, she was very generous with her time and her insight! She was the only mallet player I knew who could handle that pressure with Frank's meticulous chromaticism... it defies memorization!
"well, 3 mistakes - one for each decade that i've been away from the instrument" lol so self aware but yet after all those years she still doesn't realize that it was actually her who brought that magic to frank's music. goosebumps whenever i hear her play...
Nothing signifies Zappa"s sound more than Ruth Underwoods vibes. I wish I had taken up the instrument many years ago! Thank you for all your performances and especially your incredible live ones!
An article I read in the 70’s about Steely Dan explained the “2” chord and that Donald and Walter called it the “mu” chord and it became my go-to chord ever since. Ruth just made me say “ah-ha!” About Zappa ! Never realized that !
I just showed this video to my daughter, who became interested in playing xylophone for the school band. I may have caused the opposite effect, since the complexity just scared her off.
Ruth has a way of talking about the most complex music ever written in a way that is both engaging and understandable. Incredible musician. She needs to write a book or release some kind of instructional DVD!
"the most complex music ever written" is a reach. sensationalism. why do people have to exaggerate and make it the mostest, bestest, most complexish? Okay, it's complex.
I got to see that band Frank Zappa Ruth Underwood George Duke at the circle Star theater in San Mateo California 1974 it blew the house down we got to hear them play Dynamo hum
Thank you Rickey Fitts. I love Frank and Ruth and all things Zappa. I know she has been retired for quite awhile. Have never seen her do a demonstration of anything. Especially St. Alphonso.
I'm working on Rollo right now on guitar and for the last few months ,it's an absolute nightmare to get right , Frank was the most constantly creative composer of the 20th century and I feel privileged to have attended every tour .
THANK YOU RUTH! I've missed your playing and always was amazed at how effortless you made it seem. As others have said, I do hope you can make more of these "little ditties" as Frank would call them. Your playing sounded great, then and now, on a complex but now iconic piece of music. Thanks again, and as always "Music is the best."
Amazing! Such a treat to watch her discuss and play this epic passage! When listening to FZ my ears always seemed to focus on Ruth Underwood. All my favorite Zappa songs prominently feature Ruth. Ed mann certainly had some big shoes to fill.
it always blows my mind to think about how sharp everybody in Zappa's bands must've been in the middle of tour, constantly rehearsing and playing shows every night and getting tighter and tighter until their music making machines!
This music never gets old with me. I was a Zappa fan at 10 back in 1969. The first time I saw Ruth playing I thought wow! Not only is she a beautiful woman but a virtuoso as well. Bless you Ruth. Please treat us to more videos. Maybe do something on Vibraphone.
Those albums when she was playing on them were some of my favorite FZ albums. Probably since she was on them, since she is a great musician. And reading the comments from others, she is also a great person. Thanks.
I have watched this so many times love listening to your musical genius and the genius of the late Frank Zappa thanks a lot Scott Downing truck driver out of Bakersfield,
This is brilliant. Another composer on FZ's level imo is Tim Smith of Cardiacs. If you don't know his work, check it out. He is also a GENIUS in many ways like Frank. You can study his music for years and years and learn many things. It was effortless for him to compose as is it was for Zappa. The creativity just poured out of these guys.
My dad told me once, long ago. You can tell how good a person is at something by how easy they make it look. Seeing this makes me think 'I can do that, it looks easy!, when in reality, watching me strum a G chord is like watching crippled puppies struggling to walk. Ruth is setting unrealistic music expectations on my young, impressionable mind.
