... Dennis "...is already a good drummer, and one day he's really actually going to be a monster"
said Count Basie in his autobiography Good Morning Blues.

That day has come.

The Manhattan Symphony Jazz Orchestra, conducted by Dennis Mackrel is a group of the best musicians in New York City, and possibly the world. This is a powerful statement but when one considers that its members have been part of some of the finest organizations in music, for example Ellington, Basie, Herman, Jones/Lewis, Hampton, and Rich. It is easy to see that this is no overstatement.


The Manhattan Symphony Jazz Orchestra is special in several aspects. It is one of the few bands whose personnel differs in everything from age to background, but is very compatible when it comes to playing together. But the quality that is most unique about The Manhattan Symphony Jazz Orchestra is its leader.

Dennis Mackrel is the leader and drummer of The Manhattan Symphony Jazz Orchestra as well as the chief composer and arranger. His compositions and arrangements have been performed by The Count Basie Orchestra, The McCoy Tyner Big Band, The Woody Herman Young Thundering Herd, The Bill Perkins Big Band, The Frank Wess Orchestra, Joe Williams, The WDR Radio Big Band in Cologne, Germany, The RIAS Radio Big Band in Berlin, Germany, and The Klüvers Big Band in Aarhus, Denmark

The majority of the material that the Manhattan Symphony Jazz Orchestra perform are compositions and arrangements by Dennis Mackrel. There has never been a jazz orchestra whose library was written by the drummer. Regarding his abilities, the late Thad Jones had this to say "I think Dennis is one of the finest young drummers I've ever heard. He is extremely knowledgeable and he is also a very accomplished writer..."