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

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 131 records)

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
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	songwriter, vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar
Victor	BVE-59939	10-in.	5/17/1930	Paddlin' blues	Jim Gitfiddle [i.e., Kokomo Arnold]	Male vocal solo, with guitar	songwriter, vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar
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		instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist
Decca	60515	10-in.	2/18/1936	I'll be up someday	Kokomo Arnold		instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist
Decca	60516	10-in.	2/18/1936	I can't get enough of that stuff	Kokomo Arnold		instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist
Decca	60517	10-in.	2/18/1936	Desert blues	Kokomo Arnold		instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist
Decca	60518	10-in.	2/18/1936	Bulk headed woman blues	Kokomo Arnold		instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist
Decca	60519	10-in.	2/18/1936	Sundown blues	Kokomo Arnold		instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist
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 November 19, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/110643.

Arnold, Kokomo. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 19, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/110643.

"Arnold, Kokomo." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 19 November 2024.