from original silver
Kokomo Arnold was evidently popular because he recorded close to one hundred sides, almost all for the Decca label, between 1930-38. Arnold was a left handed guitarist with an impressive technique, combining slide with some incredibly fast finger-picking. He recorded two songs for Victor in Memphis in 1930 before heading to Chicago where he made the rest of his recordings. His initial recording session produced two classic: the influential "Milk Cow Blues" and "Old Original Kokomo Blues" (the basis of Robert Johnson's "Sweet Home Chicago"). Arnold's body of work is remarkably consistent and should be considered one of the best of his era. He retired from music in 1938 and took a job in a steel mill. As he stated in a 1959 interview: "I'm finished with music and that mad way of life."