Jazz pianist Tom McDermott possesses a playful wit that once nearly invited legal trouble. Seeking to test a suspicion about why a certain festival kept rejecting his submissions despite his solid local reputation in New Orleans, he decided on an experiment. He resubmitted under an assumed name, fabricating a review and several endorsements to accompany a fresh recording. Confirmation of his hunch arrived quickly when the organizers extended an invitation to the fabricated applicant.
Born in Missouri in 1957 to a musically inclined household, McDermott grew up with a mother who performed ragtime and served as church organist. He began eight years of lessons at age six under an aunt’s guidance. Scott Joplin’s music captivated him during early adolescence, prompting his own ragtime compositions. He turned professional at sixteen. In 1981 Stomp Off released his debut album of original pieces, New Rags. On scholarship at St. Louis University he earned an art degree in 1978, then wrote freelance music pieces for newspapers. From 1980 to 1983 he served as music critic for the Globe-Democrat while completing a master’s degree at Washington University in 1982.
Offered a post at the New Orleans World’s Fair, the pianist left St. Louis for the Crescent City in 1984, drawn to the sounds of Dr. John, Professor Longhair, and James Booker. Steady solo engagements soon expanded to work with jazz ensembles. From 1990 through 1995 he performed with the Dukes of Dixieland, including a Carnegie Hall appearance, before departing in spring 1995 for the newly launched American Queen riverboat. He continued composing and recording; in 1994 he co-founded the brass band New Orleans Nightcrawlers and served as its arranger and producer on the group’s Rounder Records debut.
