Biography
Jeffrey Frederick stood apart as a singular American figure whose sound resisted easy classification, much like his colleagues in the Holy Modal Rounders and Michael Hurley. Although he committed few tracks to tape across his 1950-1997 lifespan, his unconventional lyrics and rustic singing voice made a lasting impression on the mid-'70s landscape. His wife, Kathryn Noel Bennett, recalled that "Jeffrey was charismatic, charming and had the sexiest grin you ever laid eyes on, even with a Camel straight, a 'hump' to him, hanging out of the corner of his mouth."
Born Jeffrey Sutton Frederick in Wilmington, DE, in 1950, he spent his formative years in Vermont under the devout household of parents Harry and Edna Frederick. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout before music drew him off the conventional path; at 14 he abandoned scouting to launch his initial group, the Renegades. In the late '60s he connected with Jill Gross, Morgan Huber, John Raskin, and Robert "Froggy" Nickson, assembling the earliest incarnation of the Clamtones. Constant flux defined his musical path, however, and by the early '70s he had shifted to Automatic Slim and the Fat Boys.
Frederick relocated to Portland, OR, in 1975 and assembled a West Coast edition of the Clamtones. Across the following two years his contributions shaped two key releases, one uniting him with the Holy Modal Rounders and Hurley, the other centered on the Clamtones themselves. Critic Robert Christgau observed of Have Moicy! that the album, "Cut in two days in 1975 for around $1500," gathered "a loose confederation of folkie misfits who were having trouble trusting each other as they passed 30." Frederick supplied the tracks "What Made My Hamburger Disappear" and the equally eccentric "Robbin Banks." Even amid his singular lyrical outlook, he rendered each piece with an unforced delivery. Paul Kerr noted that "Frederick's vocals are warm, easy and relaxed, drawling at times with an attractive habit of half spoken asides and on occasion achieving a kind of spaced out croon."
In 1977 Frederick released his sole finished solo studio effort, Spiders in the Moonlight. Gary Whitehouse at Greenman Review described Jeffrey Frederick and the Clamtones as "the best hippie jam band you've probably never heard of," adding that they represented "the real deal, that is, original 1970s hippies, not any Phish or Blues Traveler or Donna the Buffalo-style late-coming wannabes." Afterward the Clamtones dispersed once more, prompting Frederick to establish Les Clams, which sustained live performances until his 1983 departure from Portland for Nevada. He wed Kathryn Noel Bennett, and together they acquired The End of the Trail Saloon in Dayton, NV, giving him a steady place to play.
A severe head injury in 1986 left Frederick unable to perform. Following an extended recuperation he resumed playing and returned to Portland, OR, in 1996. He succumbed to liver failure in 1997, a complication stemming from that earlier injury.
Born Jeffrey Sutton Frederick in Wilmington, DE, in 1950, he spent his formative years in Vermont under the devout household of parents Harry and Edna Frederick. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout before music drew him off the conventional path; at 14 he abandoned scouting to launch his initial group, the Renegades. In the late '60s he connected with Jill Gross, Morgan Huber, John Raskin, and Robert "Froggy" Nickson, assembling the earliest incarnation of the Clamtones. Constant flux defined his musical path, however, and by the early '70s he had shifted to Automatic Slim and the Fat Boys.
Frederick relocated to Portland, OR, in 1975 and assembled a West Coast edition of the Clamtones. Across the following two years his contributions shaped two key releases, one uniting him with the Holy Modal Rounders and Hurley, the other centered on the Clamtones themselves. Critic Robert Christgau observed of Have Moicy! that the album, "Cut in two days in 1975 for around $1500," gathered "a loose confederation of folkie misfits who were having trouble trusting each other as they passed 30." Frederick supplied the tracks "What Made My Hamburger Disappear" and the equally eccentric "Robbin Banks." Even amid his singular lyrical outlook, he rendered each piece with an unforced delivery. Paul Kerr noted that "Frederick's vocals are warm, easy and relaxed, drawling at times with an attractive habit of half spoken asides and on occasion achieving a kind of spaced out croon."
In 1977 Frederick released his sole finished solo studio effort, Spiders in the Moonlight. Gary Whitehouse at Greenman Review described Jeffrey Frederick and the Clamtones as "the best hippie jam band you've probably never heard of," adding that they represented "the real deal, that is, original 1970s hippies, not any Phish or Blues Traveler or Donna the Buffalo-style late-coming wannabes." Afterward the Clamtones dispersed once more, prompting Frederick to establish Les Clams, which sustained live performances until his 1983 departure from Portland for Nevada. He wed Kathryn Noel Bennett, and together they acquired The End of the Trail Saloon in Dayton, NV, giving him a steady place to play.
A severe head injury in 1986 left Frederick unable to perform. Following an extended recuperation he resumed playing and returned to Portland, OR, in 1996. He succumbed to liver failure in 1997, a complication stemming from that earlier injury.
Albums
St. Jeffrey's Day
2008
The Resurrection of Spiders in the Moonlight
2007
Clamtones B.C.
2005
Ooh La La... Les Clams
2003
ooh la la...Les Clams
2003
Have Moicy!
1976
Live
