Chlo-e (Song of the Swamp)

"Chlo-e (Song of the Swamp)" (1927) is a show tune with music by Charles N. Daniels, writing under the pseudonym of "Neil Morét," and lyrics by Gus Kahn.

The sheet music of "Chlo-e (Song of the Swamp)" bears the front cover image of singer Ethel Waters and connects it to the show Africana.

Women have sung it also, including Dinah Shore, Valaida Snow, The Ingenues and Eva Taylor, who recorded the first female vocal version for Okeh in 1928, followed closely by Bessie Brown for Brunswick.

While its topic hearkens back to the milieu of minstrel-type material, the music is uncharacteristically rich, dark hued, expressive and atypical of the Jazz Age, looking forward to the more muted and reflective sound of Depression-era songwriting.

The most respected instrumental version is the 1940 recording by Duke Ellington's Famous Orchestra, with a "wah-wah" intro by trombonist Tricky Sam Nanton, featuring Cootie Williams on trumpet alternating with bassist Jimmy Blanton and a solo by Ben Webster; Billy Strayhorn's arrangement makes a radical overhaul of Daniels' harmony, and places the verse after the chorus.

Among other notable pre-war instrumental versions of "Chloe" is Benny Goodman's from 1937, Art Tatum's piano solo from 1938 and those by Tommy Dorsey and John Kirby (musician), both from 1940.

After the war, it was recorded by jazz artists such as Herbie Harper, Don Byas, Eddie Bert, Frank Rosolino, Jimmy Rowles, Jerry Jerome, Herbie Harper, Nat Adderley, Cal Tjader, Charlie Mariano, Shelly Manne, Arne Domnerus, Paul Horn, Al Cohn, Bob Wilber (at least twice), Bill Doggett, Flip Phillips and Eddie Heywood.

Non-jazz oriented recordings of "Chloe" were made by the Everly Brothers in 1961, by guitarist Mickey Baker in 1962 and by Anton LaVey on keyboards and Nick Bougas on vocals in 1995.

Singer Vera Van performs a lovely and romantic version, without the introductory verse, in the Vitaphone short, "Mirrors" featuring Freddie Rich and his Orchestra.