The second annual Dudley Jazz Festival returns to Dorchester on Saturday, August 5 at Mary Hannon Park near Uphams Corner. The free public event will start at noon, with performances continuing until 6 p.m. The event is organized by Creative Cultural Arts, a non-profit dedicated to the advancement of music through free shows, workshops, and lessons, in partnership with Dudley Street Initiative, with contributions from the Mabel Louise Riley Foundation and the Boston Foundation.
The festival will be include performances by the Fred Woodard Collective featuring Kuumba Frank Lacy, George Russell Jr., Patrice Williamson, and the Makanda Project.
The Fred Woodard Collective, named after its founding member and lead guitarist, will be performing originally composed works that blend standard jazz instrumentation with unorthodox sounds. The Makanda Project is a 12-piece jazz ensemble that arranges and performs the compositions of the late Dr. Makanda Ken McIntyre, a Roxbury native and musical composer, but for the festival they will be featuring and performing works by the renowned trombonist Kuumba Frank Lacy.
