The last time we saw Jake Shimabukuro, he was strumming his 'ukulele alongside Jimmy Buffett in Waikiki, when the king of trop-rock came to town to christen his new restaurant in February.

At one point, Buffett took a seat on stage — no chair, just the stage — and turned the crowd over to his 'ukulele virtuoso companion.

Then Buffett just watched Jake play, and the crowd went crazy.

Shimabukuro can do that. He can put on a show that will make anyone want to sit back and listen.

Starting tomorrow, Hawai'i audiences will have four chances over the next seven days to catch Shimabukuro in concert before he resumes his current international tour promoting his latest album, "Live."

Saturday, he'll be giving a free concert on the Civic Grounds at the Hawaii Book & Music Festival. On Sunday and Monday, he'll be performing on the Big Island, and next Friday he'll be helping raise money for Precision Sound founder Janell Araki, who is battling caliphylaxis, a serious and rare kidney disease.

"I've known Janell for years," Shimabukuro said. "That family has always been so supportive of local musicians and the community.

"My heart truly goes out to her for having the courage to come forward and educate people about her condition and raise the awareness of the horrible disease. It's an honor to have been asked to perform and take part in their event."

Shimabukuro's passion for music and desire to inspire others also led to the creation of The Music is Medicine program, designed to inspire young people to pursue their passions and to work hard in developing their talents and skills.

"It's an honor and responsibility to share the music you hear in your heart with anyone who wants to listen," Shimabukuro said. "Music is the language of the future. Music communicates pure emotion. Music is good medicine.

"I remember when Frank DeLima would visit our school and talk to us about studying hard and saying no to drugs. It made a huge impact on my life. The Music Is Good Medicine program gives me the opportunity to share something positive with young people ... And hopefully, in the future, the program will inspire others to inspire others."

Part of Shimabukuro's allure is his willingness to experiment.

He packs seven genres into his four-string instrument and describes his live show as "a 90-minute acoustic instrumental with references to jazz, rock, pop, blues, bluegrass, flamenco and classical."

His recent "Live" album, released in mid-April, offers a cover of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and other songs you wouldn't expect to hear on an 'ukulele album. All of the songs are recorded from his various live performances and a few minutes are dedicated to Shimabukuro conversing with his audience.

He'll add to his world-tour performance list this summer when he makes his appearances in Brazil followed by a three-week tour in Europe, both firsts for him.

He'll be performing in Sweden at the Stockholm International Jazz Festival, in Finland for the Pori International Jazz Festival, France for the Nice Jazz Festival and Spain for the San Sebastian Jazz Festival.

"I'm just having a great time traveling and playing shows all over the world," he said. "You learn so much about yourself and how you're connected to everything around you by putting yourself in various places. It can be very challenging at times.

"I really love connecting with people. The 'ukulele gives me the opportunity to do that."

And viceversa.