NEW BUFFALO — John Moultrie knows his jazz.

As the founder and CEO of iRock Jazz, Moultrie has become a bit of a local and regional celebrity in the world of jazz and blues music.

Now, Moultrie will be using his talents to bring back the formerly canceled Ship and Shore Festival — this time, giving it a twist of what Moultrie calls “red-hot blues.”

“Ship and Shore was previously a festival that had been going on in New Buffalo for the last 30-something years,” Moultrie explained. “It has changed hands on a couple of occasions.

“Having been a longtime resident of New Buffalo, I decided that (with its cancellation) it left a gaping hole for our summer. Without it, our vacationers and the economics of some of the restaurants would be affected.”

So Moultrie went to Harbor Arts with the idea to reinvent the festival.

“Part of the reinvention came on the heels of knowing that there were problems (with the old festival),” Moultrie said. He explained that, among other things, holding the festival in the middle of Whittaker Street was, logistically, very difficult for the city. Also, because the festival brought in outside food vendors, Moultrie said that competition would develop between the outside vendors and the local restaurants.

“We really wanted to strip the festival down to its core essence,” he said.

Moultrie explained that the festival was a big deal not only to the local residents but to those who own vacation homes in the New Buffalo area, as well. Moultrie was very passionate about reviving this festival to serve those people.

Harbor Arts supported Moultrie, and they scheduled the First Annual Ship and Shore Blues Festival from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Aug. 8

Moultrie became the artistic director of the festival and went to work making changes, beginning by moving the festival back to its original location in Lions Beachfront Park.

To address the food vendor issue, Moultrie, a former chef, will bring in several food trucks, all with different cuisine to eliminate competition.

“I think critically on whatever type of food we get,” Moultrie said. “I wanted to make sure it was the best. No food truck will offer the same thing.”

The most impressive part of the festival, however, is the lineup of blues performers that Moultrie was able to arrange.

From noon to 1:30 p.m., Precious Taylor, niece of the late Queen of Blues Koko Taylor, will be performing a tribute to her aunt. Her performance will be followed at 2 p.m. by local blues musician Hank Mowrey.

The Chicago Rhythm & Blues Kings will play at 4 p.m., and at 6 p.m., the evening portion of the festival will feature what Moultrie believes will draw the biggest crowd: Chicago Women in the Blues, featuring Shirley King with a tribute performance to her late father, the legendary B.B. King.

“It’s a four-hour nonstop show, and that’s very impressive,” Moultrie said.

Tickets will be sold at the gate. Admission for children age 14 and under is free, age 15-20 is $5 and age 21 and above is $10. All activities within the festival are covered by this admission fee, including a mobile arcade “Game Truck,” which features arcade-style games that are great for groups, and a “Musical Instrument Petting Zoo,” which allows music enthusiasts a chance to try out various musical instruments.

There will also be opportunities to test drive cars and motorcycles, thanks to Three Oaks Ford and Harley-Davidson. At the intersection of Whittaker and Red Arrow Highway, people will be able to test drive 2015 Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, hybrids and crossovers for free.

Harley-Davidson will also have their JUMPSTART Rider Experience set up, which places a Harley-Davidson motorcycle on a stationary stand and allows riders with zero motorcycle experience the feeling of riding a Harley-Davidson under the supervision of a trained professional.

Parking for the festival will be available at Lions Beachfront Park for $10. The Ship and Shore Blues Festival will reduce the price by $5 to anyone with a ticket to the festival. There will also be parking at Whittaker and US-12 for free, with a free shuttle provided by Chrysler for anyone wanting to park there.

Moultrie said that, should this year’s festival prove successful, he is looking to expand even more in the future.

“We’re looking at multiple days and multiple festivals,” he said.

More information can be found at shipandshorebluesfestival.com. The musical performances will be held at the Lions Beachfront Park Pavillion, located at 101 Marquette Drive in New Buffalo. Lions Beachfront Park is located along Marquette Drive in New Buffalo.