Ian Robertson Underwood (born May 22, 1939) is a woodwind and keyboards player, known as a member of the original version of Frank Zappa's band the Mothers of Invention.
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.
[2] He has been credited in recordings for Quincy Jones, Barbra Streisand, Ronee Blakley, Hugh Cornwell, Freddie Hubbard, Jean-Luc Ponty, Herb Alpert, Hugh Masekela, Peggy Lee, Dolly Parton, Chicago, Janet Jackson, Dave Grusin, Jefferson Airplane, Frankie Valli, the Carpenters, James Ingram, and Barry Manilow.
[4] Underwood contributed synthesizers and programming to the historic recording of the Michael Jackson/Lionel Richie single "We Are the World" (produced by Quincy Jones in 1985); he has also been a featured performer (mostly on keyboard) with James Horner on numerous James Horner film scores including Titanic (1997) and Sneakers (1992).
[5] Lenox School of Jazz Concert, 1959 w/ Ornette Coleman, Herb Pomeroy With Frank Zappa/The Mothers of Invention With Sandy Hurvitz With Captain Beefheart With Alice Cooper With Jean-Luc Ponty With Freddie Hubbard With Quincy Jones With Gábor Szabó With Alphonse Mouzon With Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton With Flo & Eddie With Spirit With Carmen McRae With Seawind With Alphonso Johnson With Chunky, Novi & Ernie With Ambrosia With Lalo Schifrin With Herb Alpert With Barbra Streisand With Peggy Lee With Chicago With Janet Jackson Jefferson Airplane Some of his work on Film Scores