Dudley Jazz Festival — Fred Woodard’s annual free event returns to Mary Hannon Playground

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In 2016, Fred Woodard envisioned bringing more jazz music to Dorchester and Roxbury by organizing a day dedicated to the genre.

“There’s a need for jazz to be exposed to the general public, and the best way for the general public to be exposed to jazz is to offer an event that’s free,” said Woodard, a guitarist, educator, musician and leader of the Fred Woodard Collective jazz ensemble.

The resulting event, the Dudley Jazz Festival, has grown in popularity over the years, attracting people from different backgrounds, including local politicians and attendees from out of state. This year, the beloved festival, now considered an “important community event,” Woodard said, is back for its eighth installment on Saturday, July 20 at the Mary Hannon Playground in Dorchester.

The audience at last year’s Dudley Jazz Festival. Fred Woodard, founder of the festival, works to cater to first-time jazz concertgoers. Photo: Jaypix Belmer

“My main aim is to reach the folks that aren’t necessarily jazz aficionados, but people who are perhaps interested in checking out a live event,” Woodard said. “And it’s not only an opportunity to hear good music, but also an opportunity for folks to gather and get to know each other.”

To cater to first-time jazz concertgoers, Woodard always has a vocalist in the programming, whom he said people can “immediately relate to because of the words.” He also prioritizes variety, offering a mix of instrumentation.

This year’s festival, which kicks off at noon, will offer an eclectic medley of new and recognizable styles. Taking the stage will be Jason Palmer, a trumpeter and professor at the New England Conservatory; Jay Hoggard, a vibraphonist and professor at Wesleyan University; Nadia Washington, a singer-songwriter and vocalist; and the Fred Woodard Collective.

Previous iterations of the festival have had a friendly, neighborhood ambiance, Woodard said. In some ways, the event feels like a family reunion, with familiar faces showing up every year.

“I just want … the audience to walk away feeling uplifted by the experience,” he said, “and then also learning more about the artists that are performing in the festival.”

Janice Octavia Allen on vocals, Mone’t Ledbetter on piano, Christoff Glaude on bass and Christian Napoleon on drums during the 2022 Dudley Jazz Festival. Photo: Jaypix Belmer

Part of the goal of the festival is to provide opportunities to all involved, Woodard said. Vendors can sell their products, photographers and videographers get the chance to flex their documenting skills, and the jazz musicians can play their music without any constraints on their presentation.

The success and longevity of the festival, funded through various grants, are due in part to Woodard’s focus on consistency, he said. Every year, the schedule includes four bands, the festival starts at the same time, and it’s always on a Saturday, usually the third one in July. The evolution of the festival shows itself in the revolving roster of artists each year, most of them from Boston.

While he values uniformity, Woodard also said changes may be on the horizon. He hopes to host the festival over two days and invite more performers from beyond the Boston area.

“I see jazz as an alternative to the other music styles,” Woodard said. “Jazz musicians are probably the most highly trained musicians, and I think that they’re worthy of being exposed to a wider audience.”