Tom Leggett

In a relatively short span, the Tom Leggett Band has emerged as one of New Orleans’ hardest-working up-and-coming roots rock & blues acts. Led by guitarist, singer, and songwriter Tom Leggett, the group features some of the Crescent City’s finest musicians. With a driving blues foundation and danceable rhythms, Leggett’s songs transport listeners through the vivid, humid landscape of the Deep South, with lyrics drawn from lived experiences.

Originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, Leggett moved to New Orleans in 1997 with friend and collaborator Aaron Wilkinson (leader of Honey Island Swamp Band) to immerse himself in the city’s rich musical heritage. While studying under legendary jazz guitar instructor Hank Mackie, Leggett and Wilkinson co-founded jazz-funk band idletime in 1999. Signed to Louisiana Red Hot Records in 2000, the band toured nationally, performing 200 shows a year, headlining clubs and festivals, and opening for acts including the Funky Meters, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Rebirth Brass Band, Derek Trucks Band, and North Mississippi Allstars. The group disbanded in 2005 following hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

After Katrina, Leggett worked as a versatile freelance guitarist, performing alongside world-class New Orleans musicians and on the road with acts including Soul Brass Band, Derrick Freeman & Smoker's World, Sunpie & the Louisiana Sunspots, Ted Hefko & the Thousandaires, Corey Henry, and Jenn Howard Band.

Nearly two decades into his New Orleans career, Leggett assembled his own band with longtime musical collaborators. Their debut album, Spinnin’ My Wheels (2013), showcased original roots rock & blues compositions, becoming core material for their live performances.

In May 2017, the band expanded with a horn section for their sophomore album, Jewel In My Crown. Featuring 10 new songs written by Leggett and performed by an all-star cast of New Orleans musicians — including Leon “Kid Chocolate” Brown, Terrence Houston, Michael “Mikey B3” Burkart, Rik Fletcher, Tom Worrell, Pete “The Foot” Bradish, Scott Jackson, James Martin, Terrance Taplin, Jerome Harris, and Derek Eidson — the album received critical acclaim and helped secure the band’s first appearance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2019.

Building on this success, the band earned a grant from Threadhead Cultural Foundation to support a new recording project. Their third album, Cross That Line (2024), features 10 original songs and represents the band’s highest-quality recording to date. Produced in New Orleans— recorded and engineered by Rick Nelson at Marigny Studios, mixed by Chris Finney at the Truck Farm, and mastered by Misha Kachkachishvili at Esplanade Studios— the album, including an upcoming vinyl edition, positions the group for continued live performances across the Southeast and beyond.