Dennis Mackrel is a jazz drummer whose has recorded and/or performed with Count Basie and his Orchestra, the Dizzy Gillespie All Star Big Band, the American Jazz Orchestra, the Carla Bley Very Large Band, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, the Maria Schneider Orchestra, and many others.

He is the recipient of numerous awards including Who’s Who in Music, A National Endowment for the Arts grant for composition, and Outstanding Alumni from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

In addition to being a seasoned musician, Dennis is also a highly respected composer/arranger whose works have been recorded by the United States Military Academy at West Point's Jazz Knights Big Band, the Temple University Jazz Ensemble, the University of North Texas “One O’clock” Big Band, the Columbus Jazz Orchestra and, most notably, the McCoy Tyner Big Band whose Grammy winning CDs "The Turning Point" and "Journey" included four of Dennis's arrangements.

He is an experienced jazz educator who conducts master classes, seminars and workshops throughout Europe, Asia, Canada, and the United States and is currently an assistant chair and director of jazz studies at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College in Flushing, NY.

He is also a member of the jazz faculty at the Birch Creek Summer Music Academy in Egg Harbor, Wisconsin and the Skidmore Jazz Institute in Saratoga Springs, NY.