Author: Joanne

Ed Kraus Photograpy                                           Tor Johnson Photography

The sounds of Hawaii and Cape Ann come together for just one night as Grammy Award winner and native Hawaiian John Cruz travels east to join Cape Ann singer/songwriter Brian Alex for one night of stories and songs at the Manchester, MA Community Center on August 16th.

John Cruz is the Grammy and Hoku Award winning artist behind such songs as “Island Style” and “Shine On” and was described by top selling recording artist, Jack Johnson as “one of my favorite songwriters in the world.” Brian Alex, the popular lead singer, guitarist and chief songwriter for the Boston Music Awards winning band Entrain. Brian is working on songs for his first solo project and is looking forward to debuting more of them in August.

This special one-time pairing follows Brian’s very successful “Stories and Songs” acoustic concert at this same venue in May. That show went over so well for both audience and artist that Brian decided to do something “extra special” for summer 2013 in Manchester and John was happy to team up and add a set of his own to the night.

For the evening, expect Brian to feature songs from his forthcoming CD, “Destination Unwind” along with other fan favorites. With song titles like “Sitting Here in Paradise” and “Destination Unwind,” expect feel good summertime tunes and the tales behind them. John is working on a new and as yet untitled CD as well so expect John to feature new music well as songs from his two Hoku Award winning CD’s “Acoustic Soul” and “One of These Days.” Showtime is 8:00PM with doors at 7:30PM and tickets are available at BrownPaperTickets.com.

More on John Cruz:

John Cruz grew up in Palolo Valley on Oahu but his ties to the Northeast were formulated in 1983 when he moved east to attend the University of Amherst. It was during this time on the East Coast that he developed his own style as a songwriter playing clubs between New York, Boston and Martha’s Vineyard where he even played in an early incarnation of Entrain.

John returned to Hawaii in 1995 and came to fame in 1996 when he released his first album, Acoustic Soul. That CD spawned the radio hits “Shine On,” “Sitting in Limbo” and “Island Style,” which has become a local anthem known around the world. John won two Na Hoku Hanohano Awards in 1997; one for Contemporary Album of the Year and one for Most Promising Artist. Then, in 2005, John added a Grammy Award to his list of honors when his original song “Jo Bo’s Night” was featured on the compilation CD Slack Key Guitar Volume 2, which won the first Grammy ever awarded for Hawaiian music.

John’s second album, One of These Days was released in 2007 and the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts gave the CD its highest honor in 2008 by awarding John the Na Hoku Hanohano Award for Contemporary Album of the Year and just last year Honolulu Magazine named the album one of the “Top 25 Greatest Hawaii Albums of the New Century.”

More on Brian Alex:

From the Northeast to Key West, BrianAlex is known as the energetic lead singer, guitarist and primary songwriter for the Boston Music Award winning band Entrain. Brian’s quirky personality and unique pop-savvy style has been a significant and colorful piece of the World-Pop act Entrain, since 1995. Brian’s latest Entrain compositions “Lucky Just to Be Alive” and “Reason to Feel Good” can be heard on 92.5 The River, Martha’s Vineyard’s acclaimed WMVY and regularly on Kenny Chesney’s “No Shoes Radio”.

With a desire to record and release some of his own feel good summer songs, Brian launched a PledgeMusic.com campaign to fund the recording of his first solo project “Destination Unwind” and he will be featuring songs from that CD at select solo acoustic shows this summer.

In addition to his work with Entrain, Brian, has recorded with the Missing Persons, Donna Summer and Paula Cole and shared the stage with artists such as Bo Diddley, Bob Weir, President Bill Clinton and Edwin McCain.

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If you are interested in an artist interview or would like more information about Brian Alex (www.brianalexmusic.com), John Cruz (www.johncruz.com) or the event, please call Ed Kraus at 978-810-0054 or e-mail Ed.Kraus8@gmail.com