photo: “John Cruz: Songs & Stories” will be presented in the Maui Arts & Cultural Center on June 13. Courtesy photo Winner of multiple Grammy and Nā Hōkū Hanohano awards, musician John Cruz is a frequent contributor to videos produced by the Playing For Change Foundation, which raises money to build music and art schools for children. Courtesy photo

Editor’s note: This is the second article in a two-part series. The first article was published June 5.

Performing at Maui Arts & Cultural Center on June 13, multi-Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award-winner John Cruz was most recently heard singing the lead on Steve Grimes’ tribute, “Lahaina Town,” which featured a chant by Kumu Hula Moanalani Beamer, Lukas Nelson on backing vocals and Pat Simmons on slack key guitar.

“The very next day after the fire, when people started finding out about the fires, I had multiple people call me, songwriters asking we should write a song about it,” Cruz recalled. “I just couldn’t even think of writing a song at that point. It was so raw. But when Steve Grimes called me, ‘I wrote this song about the fires and about Lahaina, and I think you should sing it,’ I was inspired by it. It allowed me a way to channel some of those thoughts and feelings about the fire and stuff in a way that I’m comfortable with. I thought it was well written. It was great to be a part of it.”

He has included “Lahaina Town” in his shows on the mainland.

“The song is received well,” he said. “Everybody knows what happened. I usually play it with the guitar that Steve built for me.”

Cruz is a frequent contributor to videos produced by the Playing For Change Foundation, which raises money to build music and art schools for children around the world. Co-founded by Grammy-winning producer Mark Johnson, the two met during the recording of “One of These Days” at Jackson Browne’s studio.

It began with the production of a global version of the song “Stand By Me,” featuring an international cast of musicians. “He played me the first video, and I was like this is incredible,” he recalled. “He’s asked me a handful of times, ‘We’re coming. Where you at?’ He shows up with a couple of camera guys and then boom. It’s been awesome.”

The latest video saw him singing a medley of Bob Marley’s “Rastaman Chant” and “Amazing Grace” with Maui’s James “Hutch” Hutchinson on bass, and musicians from Japan, Israel and Burkina Faso.

“I’m so happy that I’m a part of that,” he continued. “That brings me so much joy because it’s so powerful and I know that it affects people. The money that they raise goes to villages in Africa, for wells and little music schools. They continue to fund clinics. I’m so glad that I’m a part because it’s so much bigger than my career.”

Playing For Change videos have featured him singing Bob Dylan’s songs “Jokerman,” “All Along the Watchtower” (15 million views) and “What Good Am I,” with Michael Ruff.

“I get people who come to see me who want to hear ‘Jokerman,'” he said. “I love Dylan, and a few months back, we did ‘Blowing in the Wind’ at Rainbow Park going down to Baldwin. I think he recorded Pat (Simmons) and The Doors’ drummer John Densmore.”

In 2022, he joined an international cast of musicians singing U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” (7 million views) in honor of the International Day of the Disappeared. And he was among the musicians performing The Band’s classic, “The Weight,” with drummer Ringo Starr, Lukas Nelson, Hutchinson and ukulele virtuoso Taimane, which has so far amassed 44 million YouTube views.

“It’s funny because I get calls from people all over the place,” he said. “They’re like, ‘What was it like playing with Ringo?’ I don’t know. I’ve never played with him before.”

Next up, we will hear him singing on a Playing For Change production of Warren Zevon’s song, “Mutineer.”

Set for release in 2027, Cruz is featured in a forthcoming documentary on Hawaiian slack key guitar directed by part time Maui resident Susan Kucera.

“We just wrapped up filming for a slack key documentary that I’ve been working on for the last couple of years,” he explained. “I’m sort of the thread that gets woven throughout the film because it’s my interactions with the different slack key players and talking about the influence that Hawaiian music has had on the world, and with the paniolo too, because the film is about the combination of those.”

Cruz said the project started with Jeff Bridges. “It’s a Jeff Bridges original project, and they’re doing a Hollywood paniolo movie. In the process of doing research for the film about the paniolo and slack key, they were like, ‘There’s a whole nother film here.’

“We’ve been filming me interacting with different slack key musicians. I’m getting all the Maui guys in on it — Anthony Pfluke, Kevin Brown, Drew Martin and Geri Valdiz. I’ve been talking to Jeff about Hawaiian music and the slack key tradition and been able to hang with him a few times and jam, too. We did this benefit for Maui for the wildfires, and Jeff did that benefit with us in Solvang, California.”

Multi-Grammy winning producer T Bone Burnett is involved with the slack key doc, which will also include an album release. “T Bone signed on to produce some music,” Cruz said. “He even wants to produce my next record. He’s like, ‘We’ve got to do a record together.'”

“John Cruz: Songs & Stories” will be presented in the MACC’s McCoy Studio Theater at 7:30 p.m. June 13. Tickets are $35, $45 and $55 with a limited number for $75, plus applicable fees.