"Thank God for Nat, who places the soul of the musician above that of his art." --Dizzy Gillespie Writing in a passionate and streetwise style all his own, Nat Hentoff transports us into the diverse worlds of musicians that hold one thing in common: America. In over sixty pieces Hentoff has assembled a mosaic that creates a vivid picture of the music scene as it leaps into the twenty-first century. From sweeping surveys of the roots of American music to vivid assessments of individual performers (including John Coltrane, Billie Holiday, Joe Williams, Doc Pomus, Duke Ellington, Willie Nelson, and many more) Hentoff demonstrates once again why he is lauded as "a critic par excellence" (Publishers Weekly). American Music Is compiles the best of his essays into a potent reader, collecting his most illuminating writing on a broad range of topics. For those who love jazz, blues, country, gospel, or folk, American Music Is provides eloquent and powerful insights. For those who love all of them, it is required reading.

納特·亨托夫，自1957年起為《鄉村之聲》雜誌撰稿。他的每周專欄在全國250多傢報紙上刊登。他的文章也刊登在《紐約時報》、《華盛頓時報》、《美國展望》和《紐約客》等報刊上，他在《紐約客》作為專職撰稿人長達25年。2004年，他被國傢藝術事務贊助部授予“爵士樂大師”稱號。