"American roots music - encompassing blues, country & western, gospel, Cajun, zydeco, Tejano, Native American, and other uniquely American genres of folk music - originated and was nurtured in small communities and spread across the nation.".

"American Roots Music is the companion book based on the PBS series of the same name, resulting from three years of research and a unique collaboration between the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Experience Music Project, and Ginger Group Productions, with major support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Public Broadcasting Service, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and AT&T."--BOOK JACKET.