No matter how many times Fred Woodard Jr. takes his guitar out of the case, it is always a big deal. The musician, teacher, Berklee alumnus, and organizer of the Dudley Jazz Festival always sees the occasion as an opportunity to spread positivity– and a strong groove– to his audience. 

His aspirations and dedication to musicianship were as clear as ever last Saturday evening, when he and his band, the Fred Woodard Collective, performed in softly lit Peabody Hall inside the Parish of All Saints church on Ashmont Street.

A quartet, the collective comprises Woodard Jr., guitarist and frontman, Melvin Graham, bassist, Matthew Williams, drummer, and Woodard Jr.’s son Fredrick (Fred) Woodard III, violinist.

The weekend event was the kickoff show for the Mandorla Music 2024 Dot Jazz Series. Rooted in the belief that experiencing music can facilitate community and healing, Mandorla Music aims to present jazz concerts through the Dot Jazz Series on a monthly basis– something that has been difficult since the onset of Covid-19. 

“The biggest part of the vision is about regularity and trying to put this on the map again as a destination for live music fans in Dorchester,” said Mark Redmond, the president and founder of the non-profit organization. “Programming wise, the vision remains kind of what it’s been– jazz is a pretty big term that refers to a lot of different kinds of music, and we’re really deliberate about trying to program things that fall at different places artistically within that spectrum.”

Accessibility and affordability of the concerts are a key part of Mandorla Music’s mission, hence the collaboration with the Parish of All Saints, which is fully ADA compliant. Additionally, the ticket prices remain fairly low and the church sits close to the MBTA’s Ashmont station.

“We want to have audiences that are coming from a lot of different places,” Redmond said. “It’s always exciting to have die-hard jazz-heads in the room and also to have people that are there because this is live music close to where they live or work. We really try to pull folks from different sub-scenes into what we’re doing.”

In addition to being the kickoff show for the series, the concert served as the official release of the Fred Woodard Collective’s first album as a quartet. Prior to the addition of Fred III, the band operated as a trio with Graham and Woodard Jr., who have played together for years, and Williams, a former student of Woodard Jr. 

The album, entitled “Indigo,” is the first recorded project featuring the father and son, and Woodard Jr. makes clear his opinion that his son’s talent cannot be overstated.

“He’s not somebody that’s just added because he’s my kid,” Woodard Jr. said. “He brings a certain flavor to the sound of the band. I can’t really point to anybody that sounds like him.”

The audience didn’t take that as an exaggeration. It sat mesmerized when Fred III handled his violin with the fervor of Jimi Hendrix during the live rendition of “Chile,” a track off their album. 

Described as “blues from a jazz perspective,” “Indigo” is a melting pot of Black diasporic music, a collection of original compositions and interpretations of soul-jazz favorites, with the quartet incorporating elements such as B.B. King-esque shuffle blues, Latin rhythms, hip-hop, and jazz.

“One thing that is common in all African-American music is the blues,” Woodard Jr. said. “All great jazz players and innovators are great blues players. As a serious musician, I’ve always studied the blues and tried to study the connection [with] everything else.”

The Collective commanded the full attention of the audience throughout the duration of the show– there were few phones out and chatter was minimal during their performance. The group coalesced their sounds effortlessly while still giving the crowd a sense of improvisational cohesion through their solo moments. 

“I want people to feel good after they’ve heard the music,” Woodard Jr. said. “It has to be something people can move to … and then once I’ve got that groove and a nice melody established, then, as an improviser, I can go anywhere.” 

Beilah Ross, a longtime resident of Dorchester and supporter of Mandorla Music, raved about the show. “I just thought it was a beautiful composition of musicians and instruments, and they all just had a really good groove together,” Ross said. “It’s really lovely to be able to roll down the street and see a great band.”

Dave Mattes, another longtime Dorchester resident, agreed that it was a fantastic show. He was particularly impressed by Woodard Jr.’s ear for music.

“He’s so economical with his notes,” Mattes said. “He doesn’t go on major runs or anything like that. It’s just really tuneful.” 

On the morning of the show, Woodard Jr. expressed hope that people would show up in spite of the cold weather, joking that “the music will keep you warm.” The people did come, filling nearly every seat as tunes from the stage kept them warm and fully present in the moment.

Those seeking that same feeling should mark their calendars for the next show in the Dot Jazz Series, which will take place on Thurs., Feb. 15, at the Parish of All Saints with a performance by the Witness Maltou Trio.