How Insensitive

"How Insensitive"
Song

"Insensatez" (usually translated to "How Insensitive" in English, although the Portuguese word really means 'absurdity' or 'folly') is a bossa nova jazz standard composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim, loosely based on Frédéric Chopin's Prelude No.4 with lyrics by Vinícius de Moraes. The English lyrics were written by Norman Gimbel.

Cover versions

The following have also performed or recorded versions of this tune:

• Shirley Bassey 1978 The Magic Is You album.
• Stan Getz, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Luiz Bonfá, with Maria Toledo on vocals, on Jazz Samba Encore, also in 1963.
• João Gilberto
• Astrud Gilberto: The Astrud Gilberto Album, as "How Insensitive".
• Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Abraça Jobim
• Doris Day - Latin for Lovers album 1965
• Clare Fischer - So Danço Samba (World Pacific, 1964)
• Karrin Allyson in Portuguese and English with a piano version of Chopin's Prelude as introduction
• Blossom Dearie recorded the song for her 1967 album Soon It's Gonna Rain.
• Liz Madden and Nigel Clark recorded an acoustic on their 2014 release Sunset Songs.
• Petula Clark
• Elis Regina
• Sinéad O'Connor
• Kellye Gray
• Claudine Longet
• Wes Montgomery (instrumental) on his 1966 album Tequila.
• Andy Williams released a version in 1966 on his album, The Shadow of Your Smile.
• Dexter Gordon on Sophisticated Giant
• Emily Remler - Retrospective Vol. 1 "Standards" (1961), Together (with Larry Coryell) (1985)
• Ryuichi Sakamoto
• Lee Konitz and Gil Evans on Anti-heroes
• Nara Leão
• Maria Creuza
• Laura Fygi
• Liberace performed both the Moonlight Sonata and "How Insensitive" at the same time on his own TV show in 1969.
• Petra Magoni and Ferruccio Spinetti
• Diana Krall, From This Moment On(2006)
• Rita Reys (with Rogier van Otterloo)
• Bireli Lagrene (instrumental): 1992, Standards album, as "How Insensitive (insensatez)"
• Oscar Peterson, Soul Espanol (1966)
• Jason Kouchak
• Frank Sinatra, with Antonio Carlos Jobim on Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim (1967)
• Nancy Wilson
• Aziza Mustafa Zadeh
• Sting, on Jobim's 1994 album Antonio Brasileiro
• Judy Garland
• Charlie Byrd
• Pat Metheny
• Earl Klugh
• Megan Mullally
• William Shatner
• Susannah McCorkle: on the album From Broken Hearts to Blue Skies 1999
• Roy Hargrove: on the album Moment to Moment 2000
• Robert Wyatt: 2003, Cuckooland album, as "Insensatez"
• Pat MacDonald: the album In The Red Room 2004
• Olivia Newton-John: the album Indigo - Women Of Song 2004
• Mónica Naranjo: on the album Samba pa ti, 2005
• Eartha Kitt: the album Live From The Café Carlyle 2006
• Olivia Ong, on album A Girl meets Bossanova 2 released on November 22, 2006
• Chief Joseph school marching band and Supreme Music Program: The Sweetheart Break-In album, as "How Insensitive"
• Fariborz Lachini: Golden Memories 1 album 2008, Solo Piano
• SuperJazz Big Band, on the album, UAB SuperJazz, Featuring Ellis Marsalis
• Chick Corea and Hiromi Uehara on the album Duet as "How Insensitive"
• Iggy Pop on the album Préliminaires
• The Monkees originally unreleased until the album Missing Links Vol.3 in 1996
• Mercedes Sosa - Portuguese lyrics (on the album Cantora 2) with the Argentine guitarist Luis Salinas (2009)
• Ahmad Jamal - Ahmad Jamal at the Top: Poinciana Revisited with Jamil Sulieman (bass), Frank Gant (drums).
• Henry Butler - on the album For all Seasons (1996) with Dave Holland (bass), Herman Jackson (drums).
• Richard Groove Holmes (instrumental): 1974, on the album New Groove
• Fernanda Takai
• Pedro Aznar: Mudras. Canciones de a dos (2003)
• Rosenberg Trio : on the album Gypsy Swing
• Sylvia Telles
• Mina : on the album Mina (1964), as Insensatez
• Stacey Kent - The Changing Lights (2013)
• Henri Salvador - Les amours qu'on délaisse
• Peggy Lee - on the studio album In Love Again! (1964)
• Duke Pearson - on the album How Insensitive (1969)
• Sahib Shihab - on the album Companionship (1966)

The song was featured as background to The Black Eyed Peas song "Sexy" and featured Brazilian pianist and bandleader Sérgio Mendes. An instrumental version of the song, performed by Jobim, was featured in the David Lynch movie Lost Highway.

See also

• List of bossa nova standards