Andrew Baxter

The fiddle player Andrew Baxter, b. March 1869 in Coosawattee, Gordon County, GA (1880, June 7 1900, 1920 and 1930 census) or in the 20th Civil District of Hamilton County, TN (June 21 1900 and 1910 census), d. April 15, 1955 in Calhoun, Gordon County, GA with a singer/guitar player James "Jim" Baxter, b. January 18, 1898 in Calhoun, Gordon County, GA, d. June 11, 1950 in Calhoun, Gordon County, GA, were a father and son fiddle/guitar duet from Gordon County, GA who recorded in the 1920s.

The Georgia Yellow Hammers and the Baxters traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina to record for Victor in the summer of 1927. Because of the Jim Crow laws, the Baxters had to ride several cars behind the Yellow Hammers on the train ride to Charlotte. In Charlotte, each group recorded their individual sessions, with one exception: Andrew Baxter played fiddle on "G Rag" with the Yellow Hammers. It is thought that "G Rag" is one of the earliest integrated recordings of Georgia musicians. Among their recordings is "40 Drops", a tribute to Georgia corn moonshine, an instrumental with vocal comments - a style typical of instrumental recordings of the 1920s.

* * * * *

By John Bush

Part of an early integrated string band, the fiddler Andrew Baxter first recorded in 1928 as part of the Georgia Yellow Hammers, then was granted his own session with his son Jim on vocals and guitar. The duo were the first to record "K.C. Railroad Blues," went on to record additional sides, including "The Moore Girl," during the late '20s (compiled on Document's String Bands 1926-1929), and performed around the area until the '50s when both died.