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Solo Shows:
Sat Dec 12th Harbour Light Theatre, Lyttelton 8pm
Thurs. Dec. 31st NEW YEARs EVE Vangionis Restaurant, Akaroa
Fri Jan. 1st Fairfield House, Nelson 8pm
Sat Jan. 2nd The Beached Whale, Kaiteriteri 8pm
Sun Jan. 3rd The Naked Possum, Collingwood
Mon Jan. 4th Saracen Bush Lounge, Karamea 8pm
Thurs Jan. 7th The Pier Hotel, Kaikoura
Fri Jan. 8th, Wholemeal Cafe, Takaka Golden Bay
Sat Jan. 9th Le Cafe, Picton 8pm
Wedn. Jan. 13th Eggsentric Cafe, Whitianga 8pm
Thurs Jan. 14th L'Art, Taupo
Fri Jan. 15th Reva's On The Waterfront, Whangarei
Sat Jan. 16th Charlie Farley's, Waiheke Island 8pm
Sun Jan. 17th Sail Rock Cafe, Mangawhai 10 am Breakfast Show
Sun Jan. 17th Sail Rock Cafe, Mangawhai 7pm Dinner Show
Wednesday Jan. 20th Redcliff Cafe, Te Anau 8pm
Thurs. Jan. 21st Carey's Bay Historic Hotel, Dunedin 8pm
Fri Jan. 22nd Redrock Bar, Wanaka 8pm
Sun Jan. 24th Chico's Queenstown 9pm
Thurs Jan. 28th Capitol Blues Club, The Bristol Hotel, Wellington 8pm
Fri Jan. 29th Martinborough Hotel, Martinborough 8pm
Paul Ubana Jones - Fairfield House
"Paul Ubana Jones could fill a room all by himself. Everything about him is big - his voice, his hair and the sound he gets out of his acoustic guitar. He filled the room at Fairfield House, with an appreciative audience packed in like sardines and his beautiful heartfelt music bouncing off the old timber walls.
Just returned from a tour of Asia, Ubana Jones interspersed his songs with stories that gave the audience an insight into the people and places he sang
about.He told us about his recent gigs in Phnom Penh and his world travels. We heard how he grew up in southeast London in a multicultural cake mix of
people and races, about being bullied at school. We heard about his Yorkshire-born mother and his Nigerian father, who worked as a dustman. Ubana Jones played with a driving energy, and his unique acoustic style showed just how skilful a player he is. He can sing like a velvet pussycat or roar like a lion, and he put on a mesmerising performance.The rhythmic and entrancing Bird Without Song told about a friend lost; Africa, the Sunburnt Stone was about his Nigerian father. He sang the blues and he layered his voice and guitar into a rhythmic force that lifted everyone in the room into another dimension.
There were songs of love and loss, with My Baby Love and Pain In My Heart, and the beautiful song So Bad, about the bitterness and hurt when the lights
go out in a love affair.A Bad Case of the Blues was inspired by George Harrison, and we were treated to a wonderful cover of the Beatles' Norwegian Wood. The audience loved him, there were obviously some long-term fans in the room and he played for a good two hours - well worth the entry fee for a night of unique entertainment, agile guitar playing and soulful songs.
He was introduced as "the legendary Paul Ubana Jones", and it's easy to see how that title could stick."
-- Caroline Moreton - Nelson Mail
Paul Ubana Jones / Keb Mo State Opera House New Zealand
"Paul was a fabulous introduction to the concert. He is a true musician who manipulates his hands at high speed to produce high impact guitar between his husky verses. Paul played a couple of songs with Keb Mo and had his name planted in that timeless line. Said Keb Mo in his mellow southern drawl: “Play the Blues , Paul” and together they did." -- Irene Chappie- The Dominion
Paul Ubana Jones / Bob Dylan / Pattie Smith, Queens Wharf Events Center
"Paul Ubana Jones took to the stage for 25 minutes of acoustic bliss. His soulful Voice, sprightly guitar agility and enthusiasm made this the most inspired performance of the evening but then he had the hardest job and the most to prove. His latest CD ‘Blessings & Burdens’ is well worth checking out. In another country he would be a national institution!" -- Simon Sweetman
Paul Ubana Jones / Taj Mahal, The Met Spokane Wash.
"Opening act Paul Ubana Jones earned his own standing ovation with utterly distinctive guitar style. I can only describe it as part Ritchie Havens, part Andres Segovia, and part Ravi Shankar. That’s right, he closed his set with a raging Indian raga that was as dazzling in technique as it was inventive in composition." -- Jim Kershner- The Spokesman, Spokane
“ The first thing you notice about Paul Ubana Jones
is how good he is” -- Sean Flattery Otago Daily Times“Unquestionably the best thing to happen to the New Zealand entertainment scene for a long time” -- Gary McCormick
“ … marvelous control and devastating rythms… one of the few solo acts people sit up and listen to, such is the force of the man’s playing technique and stage presence”
Paul Ubana Jones ‘A Change Of Season’
"Jones is a musical citizen of this world as his third album testifies. It sounds of a black cockney transplanted to New Zealand, weaving original music from, among other strands, Latin, African, Eastern and European styles." -- Nick Bollinger - Real Groove Magazine
Paul Ubana Jones ‘ I Need A Storm’
"Making his North American recording debut, Paul exhales a cool collection of folk/blues/jazz on his resilient new release ‘I Need A Storm’. Jones is sometimes compared to Ritchie Havens and a more acoustic Jimi Hendrix. ‘Song To Jimi’ with its rolling guitar sound is a fitting tribute to the late guitar hero while the opener “Call Him Hero’ exhibits a loose slapping folk funk. The dynamic “You Better Get It Right’ checks in with Jones delivering a whipping jazz guitar accented with a small barrage of delicately plucked notes sending this track to the stars. The pensive yet rambling title track beautifully illustrates Jones gift for lyric; he wrote 11 of the 13 songs included."
"Paul Ubana is one of the most striking cross-cultural folk artists to land on the North American scene." -- The Morning News, Santa Monica, Ca.
Paul Ubana Jones ‘Blessings & Burdens’ (Pagan/Virgin)
"Ubana Jones left NZ count his blessings. Unique in New Zealand music Jones carries the banner for that crossover Anglo-folk and Blues which emerged in the early 60’s and which by his constant refinement & assimilation of Indian tunings and North American melodies reaches a particular zenith on this his 4th Pagan album."
"He possesses a naturally resonant voice but what is remarkable is how he can turn it to the gentlest of emotions. ‘Pearls On A Train’, ‘The River In Me’ and the yearning ‘Song For Midnight’ all rate among his best and most sensitive writing and expressive singing so far."
"He courageously takes on that hoariest of blues beasts ‘The House Of The Rising Sun’ turning it into regretful mediation and Dylan’s ‘It Takes A Lot To Laugh’ is given an almost Sun Studies echo-heavy vocal production. The standouts are however the holy ‘Birthday’, the lovely metaphorical narrative of ‘The River In Me’, the richly textured instrumental ‘Sanura’ and the closer ‘It Ain’t Easy’ which succeeds at the rarest of things, a lightly swinging upbeat melody to further underscore that dark subject. The wide-screen production by Trevor Reekie captures both the breadth and nuance of guitar and vocals and in the meantime there are many more blessings than burdens to be discovered here." -- Graham Reid- New Zealand Herald