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Recent Biography
Chuck is currently teaching on the Music Faculty at Ottawa University in Ottawa, KS near Kansas City where he lives with his wife and two sons. He is teaching Music Theory, American Popular Music, and Athletic Bands.
In 2022/23, Chuck served as Artistic Musical Director at Instituto de Artes Musicales Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico, non-profit where he conducted the Vallarta Symphony Orchestra and Salty Paw Jazz Orchestra of Puerto Vallarta and oversaw music programs for underserved youths.
In 2021/22 Chuck was the Sudbury Artist in Residence in Jazz and Popular Musics at Knox College where he taught the Knox Big Band, Jazz and Pop Combos, Brass Ensemble, and taught private lessons in Composition, Trumpet, and Jazz Piano.
The Full Story
Chuck has been making a living in music and composing since age 18. While straight ahead jazz is his favorite idiom, MacKinnon’s diverse portfolio spans jazz, funk, Latin, classical, and electronica. Chuck’s band, The MACTET, is an all acoustic sextet that features tight 3-horn writing in the classic Blue Note tradition.
With over 40 CD credits to his name, MacKinnon has performed with many of the top names in jazz including Bobby Watson, Duke Ellington Orchestra, the Cab Calloway Orchestra, Joe Henderson, James Moody, Rufus Reid, Randy Brecker, Mark Levine, Bruce Forman, Sam Rivers, Bob Mover, Kenny Brooks, and Dred Scott. Chuck has also toured or performed with famous crossover groups including Levon Helm, John Mayer, Boz Scaggs, Norah Jones, Isaac Mizrahi, Charlie Hunter, Benevento and Russo, Peter Apfelbaum, Will Bernard, Groove Collective, Dig, DJ Logic, and the soul jazz band, Gravy, which he co-led and with whom he recorded the "Live at Brunos" CD in 1999.
Chuck has created an extensive network of musicians having worked in the San Francisco Bay Area for 13 years, the New York City area for 14 years, the Kansas City area for 5 years, Illinois, and Mexico. Chuck has worked extensively as a sideman in jazz, rock, pop, hip hop and private party bands. In addition, he has also been in demand as a composer/arranger having completed 10 commissions for big band learning his craft as a staff arranger for the Contemporary Jazz Orchestra of San Francisco and JC Hopkins' Biggish Band in NYC.
In 2019, Chuck completed the Doctor of Musical Arts DMA degree in Composition from University of Kansas where he taught jazz ensembles, composition/arranging, and implemented the annual KU Jazz Festival while attending on full scholarship. Chuck won a full music scholarship to UCLA and studied engineering before transferring and earning his Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Performance from William Patterson College in Wayne, NJ. He earned his Master of Arts in Composition degree from California State University East Bay where he won a Downbeat Magazine Award for Best Extended Composition by a Collegiate Musician in 1996.
Chuck has taught the following College Courses: Big Band, Combos, Pep Band, Jazz Arranging, Music Theory, Jazz Theory and Improvisation, Trumpet, Jazz History, Music Appreciation, American Popular Music, and Music Fundamentals.
He has taught at Ottawa University, Instituto de Artes Musicales Puerto Vallarta, Knox College, University of Kansas, College of San Mateo, Chabot College, Diablo Valley College, and California Jazz Conservatory. He has also been a guest clinician at University of Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa Jr. College, Sonoma State University, California State University East Bay, California State University San Jose, Stanford Jazz Workshop, Lafayette Summer Music Workshop and several high schools. He held simultaneous 6 year posts at the Nueva School and Crystal Springs Uplands Prep Schools as well as having taught New York City inner-city music programs through the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music for several years.
As a youth he performed with the San Francisco Youth Orchestra, Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps, the Mcdonald's All American Bands, and Spirit of Sunnyvale Marching Youth Band. Chuck served his Jazz apprenticeship under piano legends Smith Dobson and Mark Levine, and Prestige Records recording artist, Buddy Terry; and he studied composition with David Berger, Dave Eshelman, and Dan Gailey.