20 Richard Bailey

Supreme jazz-rock and AfroJazz player best known for his work with Jeff Beck on Blow by Blow (1975) and Osibisa.

19 Saleem Raman

Superb at Ronnie's over the years with Andy Davies at the Wednesday hard bop jam and on record with Guido Spannocchi on All the Above

18 Jon Scott

The new drummer in GoGo Penguin - tremendous earlier in his career with the MOBO-winning Kairos 4tet

17 Sophie Alloway

A regular presence on the London jazz club circuit appearing with the Copasetics for instance and known too for her earlier work with rapper Roots Manuva

16 Robert Fordjour

A long time drummer with Courtney Pine and in fine fettle last year during A Great Day in London

15 Shaney Forbes

Hard bop master best known for his work with Empirical

14 James Maddren

Versatile straightahead, into the freeness and avant player - in the Enemy trio with Kit Downes and Petter Eldh on this year's Vermillion

13 Tom Skinner

Known to rock fans for The Smile, one of the two original drummers in Sons of Kemet (along with Seb Rochford and nowadays Eddie Hick) Skinner has been on the UK jazz scene at a hard-gigging level since he was in his teens.

12 Martin France

Loose Tubes, Spin Marvel player France is very good in Nordic, ambient and big band contexts and has gelled over the years with such different leaders as Django Bates and Nils Petter Molvær

11 Mark Mondesir

Hugely intuitive player best known for his work with Courtney Pine in the saxophonist's early period - on the Pine classic, Journey to the Urge Within (1986)

10 Mark Sanders

The UK's top free-jazz and improv drummer of his generation

9 Steve 'Dakiz' Davis

A superb technician known for his work with Anthony Braxton and his tenure in Bourne/Davis/Kane

8 Alyn Cosker

Drummer for many years in the UK's top big band, the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra

7 Gary Husband

The UK's most complete classic 1970s-style jazz-rock and into prog drummer (also a fine pianist) known for his work with John McLaughlin and with Billy Cobham

6 Seb Rochford

Imaginative multi award-winning drummer known for his work in Polar Bear and with Brian Eno. About to debut as a leader for ECM

5 Sebastiaan de Krom

A Netherlands-born player who has lived in the UK for decades famed for his time circa Twentysomething with Jamie Cullum he's one of the top modern-mainstream timekeepers who can swing the beat and is also great on brushes

4 Winston Clifford

A legend on the scene most recently heard by marlbank playing with Camilla George last summer his work includes spells with Courtney Pine, Bheki Mseleku and Jason Rebello. And he is also on Orphy Robinson 1990s classic, The Vibes Describes

3 Paul Clarvis

Mose Allison, Panic, Pigfoot, Cathy Jordan - and all points in between no one keeps it so simple and delivers so much. Don't blink twice, it's all right

2 Moses Boyd

Received huge acclaim for the free-jazz duo Binker and Moses and tremendous last year at A Great Day in London celebrating Tomorrow's Warriors

1 Ian Thomas

The Steve Gadd of the UK? Yes. Vastly experienced Wales-born session player who has performed with Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Kenny Wheeler, Jamie Cullum, Jim Mullen, David Sanborn and many more. Hear him on the Colin Towns Mask Orchestra big band album for the ages Another Think Coming for starters. Photo of Ian Thomas, top - publicity shot