"Kokomo" Arnold

James Arnold

b. February 15th, 1901 in Lovejoy (Georgia)

d. November 8th, 1968 in Chicago (Illinois)

COMPLETE RECORDED WORKS

Document

Volume 1 (May 1930 - March 1935)

Volume 2 (April 1935 - February 1936)

Volume 3 (May 1936 - March 1937)

Volume 4 (March 1937 - May 1938)

Slide-guitariste gaucher, James "Kokomo" Arnold fut un des grands innovateurs de la guitare blues. Influencé par les guitaristes hawaiiens Frank Ferera et Sol Ho'opi'i, il joue de son instrument à plat posé sur les genoux. Son influence - notamment son usage du bottleneck - sera décisive pour beaucoup de musiciens. Originaire de la banlieue sud d'Atlanta, il reçoit ses premières leçons de guitare de son cousin John Wiggs. James quitte sa Géorgie natale en 1919 pour travailler dans diverses aciéries à Buffalo, Pittsburgh et Gary. Il arrive à Chicago en 1929 et se lance dans la contrebande d'alcool en pleine Prohibition. L'année suivante, il retourne brièvement dans le sud à Memphis pour ses deux premiers titres chez Victor sous le pseudonyme de Gitfiddle Jim. Mais, il revient rapidement à Chicago où il s'installe définitivement. Grâce à "Kansas" Joe Mac Coy, il rencontre le producteur de Decca J. Mayo Williams qui le signe peu après. Chez Decca, Kokomo grave plus de 80 morceaux en quatre années, parfois accompagné des pianistes Roosevelt Sykes ou Peetie Wheatstraw. Dans cette oeuvre extrêmement conséquente, on peut ressortir "Old original Kokomo blues" (reprise à "Scrapper" Blackwell), "Milk cow blues", "Sagefield woman blues", "Old black cat blues", "Back door blues", "The twelves", "Chain gang blues". En 1938 - alors qu'il a obtenu plusieurs succès commerciaux - il abandonne le milieu musical et prend un travail dans une usine de Chicago. Beaucoup plus tard, en 1959, il est retrouvé par les chercheurs français Jacques Demêtre et Marcel Chauvard alors qu'il vit modestement dans un petit appartement. Mais, Kokomo ne souhaite absolument pas reprendre une carrière de bluesman. D'après certaines sources, Kokomo aurait prétendument participé à des sessions organisées par Victoria Spivey et Willie Dixon mais on n'en a jamais trouvé aucune trace. Il décède d'une crise cardiaque en 1968.

Left-handed slide-guitarist, James "Kokomo" Arnold was one of the great innovators of the blues guitar. Influenced by hawaiian guitarists Frank Ferera and Sol Ho'opi'i, he plays his instrument flat on his knees. His influence - in particular the use of his bottleneck - will be decisive for many musicians. Originally from the southern suburbs of Atlanta, he receives his first guitar lessons from his cousin John Wiggs. James left his native Georgia in 1919 to work in various steel mills in Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Gary. He arrived in Chicago in 1929 and began alcohol bootlegging during Prohibition. The following year, he briefly returned south to Memphis to cut his first two titles at Victor as Gitfiddle Jim. But he soon returned to Chicago where he settled permanently. Thanks to "Kansas" Joe Mac Coy, he met producer J. Mayo Williams for Decca who sign him soon after. At Decca, Kokomo record more than 80 tracks in four years, sometimes accompanied by pianists Roosevelt Sykes and Peetie Wheatstraw. In this extremely consistent work, we can highlight "Old original Kokomo blues" (written by "Scrapper" Blackwell), "Milk cow blues", "Sagefield woman blues", "Old black cat blues", "Back door blues", "The twelves", "Chain gang blues". In 1938 - even though he obtained several commercial successes - he left the music business and took a job in a factory in Chicago. Much later, in 1959, he was found by the french enthusiasts Jacques Demêtre and Marcel Chauvard while he lives modestly in a small apartment. But, Kokomo does not want to resume his bluesman career. According to some sources, Kokomo allegedly participated in sessions organized by Victoria Spivey and Willie Dixon but no trace of them have never been found. He died of a heart attack in 1968.

BLUES CLASSICS

Blues Classics

September 1934 - November 1937

KOKOMO ARNOLD

Saydisc - Matchbox

February 1935 - May 1938

BOTTLENECK GUITAR TRENDSETTERS

Yazoo

September 1934 - January 1937

ORIGINAL KOKOMO BLUES

EPM

September 1934 - May 1938

OLD ORIGINAL KOKOMO BLUES

Wolf

May 1930 - May 1938

L'oeuvre importante de "Kokomo" Arnold a généré de nombreux disques. En 1960, Jacques Demêtre et Samuel Charters font figurer quelques uns de ses morceaux, respectivement dans les anthologies "Bad luck blues" (Brunswick) et "The rural blues" (RBF). En 1964, la firme Blues Classics propose un LP complet partagé entre "Kokomo" Arnold et son compagnon de route Peetie Wheatstraw. Puis, suivront les LPs "Kokomo Arnold" (Saydisc-Matchbox) en 1969 puis le célèbre "Bottleneck guitar trendsetters" (Yazoo) en 1975, ce dernier partagé avec un autre grand innovateur de la slide-guitare, Casey Bill Weldon. A l'ère du CD, il y eut plusieurs autres compilations (pas toujours très bien construites). On peut citer celles proposées par EPM et Wolf plutôt satisfaisantes.

The important work of "Kokomo" Arnold has generated numerous albums. In 1960, Jacques Demêtre and Samuel Charters shall include some of his tracks, respectively in the anthologies "Bad luck blues" (Brunswick) and "The rural blues" (RBF). In 1964, the Blues Classics imprint provides a full LP shared by "Kokomo" Arnold and his companion Peetie Wheatstraw. Then, follow the LPs "Kokomo Arnold" (Saydisc-Matchbox) in 1969 and the famous "Bottleneck guitar trendsetters" (Yazoo) in 1975, the latter shared with another great innovator of the slide-guitar, Casey Bill Weldon. In the CD era, there were several other compilations (not always well assembled). We can notice those proposed by EPM and Wolf rather nice.