Blues & satire revisit

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 5, Issue 23, 3 November 1987, Page 13

Blues & satire revisit

"Influences as diverse as Howlin Wolf, Martin Carthy, Jimi Hendrix and the rajahs of India are discernible in his music. The end result though, is a style which is uniquely his own" - that's one description of blues guitarist, Paul Ubana Jones. Paul Ubana Jones was born and raised in London and started playing music at age 11. At twenty he won a scholarship to the Chiswick Music Conservatory, where he studied classical music for three and a half years. He says the course was "wonderful - not funky - but a great mind opener!" London nights were spent gigging with South African musicians based there. From London, Paul toured the Adriatic countries with Delroi Williams 'Soul Explosion' before playing solo in Morocco and Algeria. He moved to Califomia and worked many of the clubs in the San Francisco Bay area before moving to the south of France for two years. In 1983 he met his wife Corinne and, based in Zurich toured Italy, France, Switzerland and Holland. During this period he conducted nearly 200 workshops on the history of Black music and an introduction to the Blues. "The audience sat in mesmerised contentment through each of his longer than normal songs ... and at the end they erupted into lengthy clapping and hearty cheers." - Waikato Times. Paul has begun playing in New Zealand venues. According to Gary McCormick who met Paul Jones soon after he arrived in the country, Jones is a musician and singer of staggering ability.

"We are not often exposed to musicianship of this calibre and it is combined with a great stage presence. I worked with Paul for five shows to date, in the central North Island - and he had the crowd eating out of his hands. He is unquestionably the best thing to happen to the New Zealand entertainment scene for a long time," said Gary. Jones is hoping to stay on in New Zealand. By

staging shows . around the country McCormick hopes to build up support for an application for NZ citizenship. The two will work together over the next six months. "We've (New Zealand) been generous in allowing tradespeople and people with business skills into this country. It's time we boosted the cultural input and Paul Jones is one we cannot afford to let get away!" said Gary.