TMP 93 Ben Sandmel: Grassroots Surrealism

He’s written books on New Orleans icon Ernie K-Doe and the Zydeco culture of south Louisiana. He spearheaded the career revival of the Hackberry Ramblers, producing and playing drums with the Cajun band for eighteen years culminating in their Grammy nomination after 70 years together. Ben is attracted to offbeat characters and cultural ephemera, so of course he winds up in the Ring Room with the Troubled Men. Topics include the Super Bowl, Tom Flores’ Hall of Fame snub, corrupt institutions, a Bible reading, a cyberattack, a book plug, a Christmas commercial, Rico Watts, “White Boy, Black Boy,” Clifton Chenier, “Jole Blon,” string bands, MTV Live, a neighborhood threat, disaster tourism, the Grand Ole Opry, a last road trip, a Beach Boys protest, liner notes, Chicago blues time, Sunnyland Slim, Jazz Fest interviews, losing peers, a false memory, publishing deals, false documents, a missing finger, and much more. Support the podcast by contributing [here](https://www.paypal.me/troubledmenpodcast) Subscribe, review, and rate(5 stars) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or most podcast aggregators. Follow on social media, share with friends, and spread the Troubled Word. Intro music: Styler/Coman Outro music: “Bill’s Boogie Woogie” by Boogie Bill Webb and “Poor Hobo” by the Hackberry Ramblers from the album “Deep Water”