Note: From "Step It Down": The Buzzard Lope originated during slavery, possibly as an adaptation of a similar dance from West Africa. It was first noted in Georgia in the 1880s, and became widely popular. Dancers stretch out their arms like birds of prey and do a shuffle step and a little hop around a piece of cloth on the ground, which represents the carrion. People on the sidelines clap and pat their thighs. Setting: Alan Lomax's apartment, 3rd Street
About the session: The first of 21 recording sessions with Bessie Jones.
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