Jack Thomas

Jack Thomas is a highly flexible, groove-first drummer who has become a steady presence on London’s contemporary jazz circuit. Listeners first met him through trumpeter Mark Kavuma’s collective The Banger Factory, where his crisp ride patterns, unshowy touch, and quick-witted set-ups power the band’s live energy and studio focus. Recent notices singled out the rhythm pairing of Thomas and bassist Jack Garside for the way they frame everything from Mingus-inspired bustle to soulful originals.

On stage he favours clarity over spectacle. You hear a drummer who shapes the song’s contour, gives soloists room to tell a story, then tightens the screws when the groove needs heat. That approach has made him a regular in Kavuma line-ups at venues such as Ronnie Scott’s Late Late Show and Ladbroke Hall, alongside peers including Deschanel Gordon and Artie Zaitz.

Thomas records and tours with The Banger Factory, contributes to small-group projects where acoustic swing meets modern edges, and adapts easily to organ trios, quartet dates, and horn-led ensembles. The thread through all of it is time feel: a centred pulse, cymbal tone that sits just right in the band, and fills that serve the moment rather than the spotlight.