Tom McDermott began studying piano at age seven, became a professional musician at 16, and received a Master of Music degree from Washington University in St. Louis in 1982. Two years later he moved to New Orleans and became noted for the styles of music associated with that town, especially Traditional Jazz and New Orleans R&B. He was in the group "Dukes of Dixieland" through much of the 1990s. In 1994 he co-founded and wrote arrangements for the innovative brass band the New Orleans Nightcrawlers.

Free and open to the public, sponsored by New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park.