How Insensitive is the fourteenth album by American pianist and arranger Duke Pearson featuring performances by Pearson's band augmented by a choir, recorded over three sessions in 1969 and released on the Blue Note label.Duke Pearson discography accessed September 10, 2010
Reception The Allmusic review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine awarded the album with a 2-star rating, saying "Each song on How Insensitive boasts extravagant, layered arrangements that flirt with schmaltz, but the voicings and attack are so unusual, the result is a weird variation on easy listening. There is little opportunity for Pearson to showcase his tasteful playing through improvisation, yet the arrangements are so off-kilter, the music never quite works as background music. In other words, it's a very interesting failure and one of the strangest by-products of Blue Note's late-'60s commercialization".Erlewine, S. T. [ Allmusic Review] accessed September 10, 2010
Track listing All compositions by Duke Pearson except were noted "Stella by Starlight" (Ned Washington, Victor Young) – 4:39 "Clara" (George Gershwin, Dubose Heyward) – 2:43 "Give Me Your Love" – 3:24 "Cristo Redentor" – 3:53 "Little Song" (Jack Manno) – 2:53 "How Insensitive" (Antônio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes, Norman Gimbel) – 2:13 "Sandalia Dela" (Pearson, Manno) – 3:28 "My Love Waits (O Meu Amor Espera)" (Pearson, Manno) – 4:35 "Tears" (Eumir Deodato, Ray Gilbert, Paulo Valle) – 3:29 "Lamento" (Jobim, de Moraes) – 2:51 Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ on April 11 (tracks 1 & 3–5), April 14 (tracks 2, 6 & 8), & May 5 (tracks 7, 9 & 10), 1969
Personnel Duke Pearson – piano, electric piano, arranger Al Gafa – guitar (tracks 1–6 & 8) Dorio Ferreira – guitar, percussion (tracks 7, 9 & 10) Bob Cranshaw – bass (tracks 1–6 & 8) Bebeto Jose Souza – bass (tracks 7, 9 & 10) Mickey Roker – drums Airto Moreira – percussion Andy Bey – lead vocals (track 2), vocals (1, 3–6 & 8) Flora Purim – lead vocals (tracks 7, 9 & 10) The New York Group Singers' Big Band – vocals (tracks 1–6 & 8) Jack Manno – conductor
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