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filler@godaddy.com
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filler@godaddy.com
In recent news, in 2021 I earned an M.A. in Musciology from Tulane University in New Orleans.
My work primarily focuses on such indigenous American music as blues/R&B, country music, Cajun music/zydeco, gospel, traditional New Orleans jazz, and more, with emphasis on South Louisiana. I have extensive experience in music journalism, music publicity/promotion, music production, folkloric research, and documentary consultation. Since the mid-1980s I have written press releases, bios, and over 100 sets of liner notes, for record labels including Blue Note, Verve, Columbia, Time-Life, Rhino, Putamayo, Elektra-Nonesuch, Polygram, Rounder, and Alligator.
In 1997 I founded my own record label, Hot Biscuits. I wrote successful grant proposals to fund the recording of Hot Biscuits’ first release, Deep Water, by the The Hackberry Ramblers, and wrote all the copy used to promote and market the album. Deep Water (see below) was nominated for a Grammy award as the Best Traditional Folk Album of 1997. I co-produced a documentary, Make ‘Em Dance: The Hackberry Ramblers’ Story ( https://www.folkstreams.net/film-detail.php?id=452 ) that aired on PBS in 2004. In addition I have worked as a consultant on documentaries for networks including the BBC, MTV, CBS, and organizations such as the Smithsonian Institution.
Since 1996 I have produced the oral history and interview venue, known as the Music Heritage Stage, at the annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
I am the author of two books about Louisiana music and its deep folkloric connections. Both books entailed years of research. They are Zydeco!, a collaboration with photographer Rick Olivier (The University Press of Mississippi, 1999) and the critically-acclaimed Ernie K-Doe: The R&B Emperor of New Orleans (The Historic New Orleans Collection, 2012, https://www.erniek-doebook.com/ , available from https://shophnoc.com/collections/published-by-the-historic-new-orleans-collection/products/ernie-thnoc-book.) In addition I have written articles for a wide variety of publications including Esquire, The Atlantic, Rolling Stone, The Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune, The Oxford American, the Chicago Sun-Times and the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
In addition to my work in music, I have written about the occupational folklore of the Mississippi River, based in part on my own experience working as a deckhand between 1973 and 1981.
This is the website of author, musician, and producer Ben Sandmel
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