Kokomo Arnold

James "Kokomo" Arnold (February 15, 1896 or 1901 – November 8, 1968) was an American blues musician. A left-handed slide guitarist, his intense style of playing and rapid-fire vocal delivery set him apart from his contemporaries. He got his nickname in 1934 after releasing "Old Original Kokomo Blues" for Decca Records, a cover version of Scrapper Blackwell's blues song about the city of Kokomo, Indiana.

Birth and Death Data: Born February 15, 1901 (Lovejoy), Died November 8, 1968 (Chicago)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1929 - 1938

Roles Represented in DAHR: guitar, vocalist, songwriter

See Also: Gitfiddle Jim

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 131 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BVE-57257 10-in. 12/13/1929 You must be so Cotton PIckers Quartet Male vocal quartet songwriter  
Victor BVE-57259 10-in. 12/13/1929 When the water raised Cotton PIckers Quartet Male vocal quartet songwriter  
Victor BVE-59938 10-in. 5/17/1930 Rainy night blues Jim Gitfiddle [i.e., Kokomo Arnold] Male vocal solo, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist, songwriter  
Victor BVE-59939 10-in. 5/17/1930 Paddlin' blues Jim Gitfiddle [i.e., Kokomo Arnold] Male vocal solo, with guitar instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist, songwriter  
Decca 60502 10-in. 2/18/1936 D.B.A. Blues No.2 Roosevelt Sykes instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca 60503 10-in. 2/18/1936 Dirty mother for you Roosevelt Sykes instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca 60504 10-in. 2/18/1936 The cannon ball Roosevelt Sykes instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca 60505 10-in. 2/18/1936 Jet black snake-1 Roosevelt Sykes instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca 60506 10-in. 2/18/1936 Working man (Doing the best I can) Peetie Wheatstraw instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca 60507 10-in. 2/18/1936 Low down rascal Peetie Wheatstraw instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca 60511 10-in. 2/18/1936 When I get my bonus Peetie Wheatstraw instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca 60512 10-in. 2/18/1936 Coon can Shorty Peetie Wheatstraw instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca 60513 10-in. 2/18/1936 Second floor blues Roosevelt Sykes instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca 60514 10-in. 2/18/1936 Milk cow blues No.5 Kokomo Arnold vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca 60515 10-in. 2/18/1936 I'll be up someday Kokomo Arnold vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca 60516 10-in. 2/18/1936 I can't get enough of that stuff Kokomo Arnold vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca 60517 10-in. 2/18/1936 Desert blues Kokomo Arnold vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca 60518 10-in. 2/18/1936 Bulk headed woman blues Kokomo Arnold vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca 60519 10-in. 2/18/1936 Sundown blues Kokomo Arnold vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca 60522 10-in. 2/19/1936 Meat cutter blues Peetie Wheatstraw instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca 60523 10-in. 2/19/1936 The first shall be last and the last shall be first Peetie Wheatstraw instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca 60527 10-in. 2/19/1936 Kidnappers blues Peetie Wheatstraw instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca 60532 10-in. 2/20/1936 Old good whiskey blues Peetie Wheatstraw instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca 60538 10-in. 2/20/1936 Poor millionaire blues Peetie Wheatstraw instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca 60539 10-in. 2/20/1936 Deep sea love Peetie Wheatstraw instrumentalist, guitar  
(Results 1-25 of 131 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Arnold, Kokomo," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110643.

Arnold, Kokomo. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110643.

"Arnold, Kokomo." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110643

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