The song of the day for Wednesday, February 5, 2015 is “How Insensitive.”

About This Song

“How Insensitive” (known as “Insensatez” in the original Portuguese) was written in 1963 by Antonio Carlos Jobim, with the Portuguese lyrics by Vinicius de Moraes. Norman Gimbel wrote the English lyrics. The melody was based on Frédéric Chopin’s Prelude No.4. Interestingly, “insensatez” in Portuguese is typically translated as folly or absurdity.

This song has been widely recorded, including a very fine early recording with Jobim and Stan Getz for their 1963 album Jazz Samba Encore and the Astrud Gilberto and João Gilberto recording. American singers include Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald, Doris Day, Diana Krall and many, many more.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “How Insensitive” in 1965. It is the third song on the album, following “Fly Me To The Moon” Arranged by Don Costa, the recording features the Ralph Sharon Trio, with Hal Gaylord on bass and Billy Exiner on drums) and also features Al Cohn on tenor sax. It’s a perfect bossa nova song.

“How Insensitive,” as well as If I Ruled The World: Songs for the Jet Set, is available from iTunes.