South Georgia Highballers

The South Georgia Highballers were a unique three-piece string band from Georgia which made only six recordings for Okeh in the 1920s. But the instrumental combination of musical saw, guitar, and fiddle has perhaps never been repeated, unless one examines the lineup of avant-garde free improvising groups which seem to have utilized every instrumental combination known to mankind. The brothers  Albert and  Vander Everidge handled the saw and guitar, respectively, with Vander responsible for the hot picking on "Blue Grass Twist" and "Bibb County Grind." Fiddler Melgie Ward rounded out the trio and is remembered for some of the loudest foot-tapping action in the business. In a genre where foot-tapping is considered an essential part of the action, and is rarely discouraged, the recording engineer apparently had to stick a pillow under this fiddler's foot to keep the feet sounds from taking over completely. Albert's three sons  Alton,  Al, and Reuben Everidge all became musicians and carried on the family tradition working and recording in a series of string bands. There were some reports that the  South Georgia Highballers remained an active group in the Macon area off and on until as late at the '70s, but no evidence of any further recording activity has turned up.