Biography
Little information survives concerning an uncommon string trio that originated in Georgia and cut a mere half-dozen sides for Okeh during the 1920s. Their lineup of musical saw, guitar, and fiddle appears to have remained unmatched outside certain circles of avant-garde free improvisation that have explored virtually every conceivable instrumentation. Albert Everidge bowed the saw while his brother Vander supplied guitar, including the brisk picking featured on “Blue Grass Twist” and “Bibb County Grind.” Completing the group was fiddler Melgie Ward, whose vigorous foot-tapping was so pronounced that the studio engineer reportedly placed a pillow beneath it to prevent the percussive sounds from overwhelming the track. Albert’s three sons—Alton, Al, and Reuben Everidge—each pursued music and sustained the family practice by performing and recording with various string bands. Occasional accounts suggest the South Georgia Highballers continued to perform sporadically around Macon into the 1970s, yet no additional recordings from the ensemble have surfaced.