About the Author
Ben Sandmel is a New Orleans-based journalist, folklorist, drummer, and producer. His published work includes one-hundred sets of liner notes for albums covering a wide range of musical genres, and hundreds of articles for publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Rolling Stone, Esquire, The Chicago Tribune, The Chicago Sun-Times, Delta Sky, Scottish Life, Workboat, and the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Sandmel’s work has been anthologized in From Jubilee to Hip Hop: African American Music Since Reconstruction (Prentice-Hall, 2009); Accordions, Fiddles, Two-Steps & Swing: A Cajun Music Reader (The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 2006); DaCapo Best Music Writing 2000 (DaCapo), and La Musique Zydeco (Recontres Transmusicales de Rennes,
France, 1990.)
Sandmel is the author of two books: Zydeco! (a collaboration with photographer Rick Olivier, University Press of Mississippi, 1999) and Ernie K-Doe: The R&B Emperor of New Orleans (The Historic New Orleans Collection, 2012.) The K-Doe book appeared on year-end lists including Kirkus Reviews’ Best Non-Fiction Books of 2012 (in a starred review, Kirkus praised it as “A vital, essential addition to the shelf of great books about New Orleans.”); National Public Radio’s Best Music Books of 2012; and Blues Book of the Year for 2012 in Living Blues’ Critics’ Poll. Living Blues’ stated that it “…strikes that rare balance of academic research and delightful, readable prose… Ben Sandmel has raised the bar for music biographies… ” The Chicago Tribune raved that “…Sandmel’s tribute to Ernie K-Doe sings… It is a triumph… a magnificent work of art that helps guarantee the Emperor’s immortality.” Publisher’s Weekly gave it a starred review, while Blues & Rhythm (U.K.) opined that “…Sandmel is a fine, literate writer, one who is able to turn a phrase in the language of the educated man or in the jargon of the street with equal authenticity.” MOJO (UK) appreciated the fact that “Ben Sandmel’s affectionate portrait, always judicious, often hilarious, whirls the reader through the streets of
New Orleans…” The Oxford American said that Sandmel’s “prose reads like a great New Orleans song is supposed to sound: you start tapping your foot with each turn
of the page.”
Since 1983 Sandmel has worked for the state-funded Louisiana Folklife Program as a field researcher and writer, documenting blues, gospel, and country music, Jewish folklore, and the occupational folklore of the oilfield and the Mississippi River. The latter based on his experience as a deckhand on the Delta Queen.
In 2007 Sandmel’s short story based on these experiences, The End of His Rope, was a finalist in our William Faulkner – William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition. Since 1996 Sandmel has produced the Music Heritage Stage, the oral history/interview venue at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. A working musician, Sandmel has produced and played on albums including the Grammy-nominated Deep Water by the Cajun/western swing band The Hackberry Ramblers. He also has performed with blues artists including Sunnyland Slim, Jimmy Johnson, Junior Wells, Snooks Eaglin, and Carol Fran. Currently, Sandmel is finishing work on a Masters Degree in Musicology at Tulane University.