In the universally acclaimed American Musicians , America's foremost jazz critic gathered together fifty-six of his jazz profiles written for The New Yorker . Now, in this expanded edition of American Singers , Whitney Balliett offers the perfect complement to American Musicians . This edition contains thirteen new biographical profiles to double the size of the original volume published ten years ago. Alongside original chapters on such great vocalists as Ray Charles, Tony Bennett, Joe Turner, and Alberta Hunter, American Singers now includes fresh portraits of Mel Tormé, Julius La Rosa, George Shearing, and Peggy Lee. Balliett has also rounded out his study of the masters of the cabaret to include Julie Wilson, and has extended his profile of America's great songwriter and composer, Alec Wilder. In the three decades that Whitney Balliett has written for The New Yorker , critics and the general public have widely praised his writing. The late Philip Larkin described him as a "writer who brings jazz journalism to the verge of poetry," and Gene Lees called him "one of the most graceful essayists in the English language on any subject." American Singers beautifully illustrates that unmatched style. About the Author : Whitney Balliett has been the jazz critic for The New Yorker since 1957. His other books include Improvising , Night Creature , and Barney, Bradley, and Max .