PITTSBURG -- The blues are coming back. Not only that, but they are bringing along some jazz and funk for good measure.

The first Jazz Blues and Funk Festival takes place Aug. 20 at the Pittsburg Marina. Admission is free.

In 2008, the city's Black Diamond Blues Festival ended a 12-year run due to budget restraints, said City Councilmember Merl Craft.

The Jazz Blues and Funk Festival is a way to bring back the blues while expanding the musical menu, she said. Food, beer and wine vendors will be on hand to stave off hunger and quench thirst. People who attend are urged to arrive early to find choice seating areas and bring lawn chairs and blankets.

"It's a great opportunity. It's a free event. We are wanting to bring more people into our downtown, not just our Old Town, but also our marina. We have a gorgeous marina and we want to bring people there," Craft said. "We have a nice grass area. You've got the atmosphere of the water and the boats."

The festival will feature local and regional musicians and singers.

"There is something for everyone. We really tried to stick with our local talent," said Lollie Gutierrez, Pittsburg's recreation supervisor.

Morning jazz will kick things off, followed by an afternoon blues jam session and funk music in the evening.

Among those who will be jamming is Louis Jones, a longtime blues guitarist who has played with Count Basie, James Brown, Etta James and other headliners over the years. The 73-year-old Pittsburg resident also played at the old Black Diamond festival, a name that paid homage to the street that had nightclubs frequented by soldiers stationed at Camp Stoneman during World War II and the Korean War before they boarded ships bound for the Pacific.

"A lot of people in my travels ask me whatever happened to the blues festival. They enjoyed it. We had people from L.A, Hollywood, all over the place come out here," recalled Jones, a member of the Bay Area Blues Society Hall of Fame who was inducted into the Pittsburg Entertainment & Arts Hall of Fame in 2013.

Jones is looking forward to the upcoming music fest. "It will bring (people) back if it's done right," he said.