Success of 2018 show prompts Paul Ubana Jones to bring soulful new live performance to Marton Players Theatre

Uniquely Ubana combines original material by Paul Ubana Jones with arrangements of songs written by his favourite writers. Jones will be in Marton on March 16.

Paul Ubana Jones completed a 25-date concert tour around New Zealand one week ago, but when the stars aligned, he just had to add an impromptu event.

Jones is performing at the Marton Players Theatre following a successful event last year in which a sizeable crowd "really got stuck into the substance of the show".

As part of his new show Uniquely Ubana, Jones brings a mixture of his own material and arrangements of songs by his favourite writers to the theatre on Wellington Rd.

Jones says it will be an unparalleled live electro-acoustic show.

"They're very soulful shows that are exquisitely planned and can be broken down into two areas, the depth of songwriting and the brilliance of my unique guitar style," he says.

"I say that without being up myself, there's just no one else doing what I'm doing and I should know that by now."

He certainly should. Jones has been performing live in New Zealand since he moved here with his wife and two children in 1987.

Now living in Canterbury, he was born in London to a Yorkshire mother and Nigerian father in 1952. He had a guitar in his hands by the time he was 11.

When he was a boy, Jones' father would play the likes of soul pioneer Ray Charles, but it was the purchase of a Bob Dylan EP by his brother that really ignited his passion.

Jones says Dylan wrote songs that were like uppercuts to the body and the mind.

"His finger was on the pulse of the changes in America. Changes that were about to come or issues that were in desperate need of changes.

"They ranged from race relations where people were getting lynched because of their colour, to rich people that could murder people and get away with it due to their wealth."

Jones was also inspired by Jimi Hendrix, who to him redefined guitar playing.

Before he had even turned 18, Jones won a scholarship to study classical music, playing the guitar and cello in London for three years.

Despite his classical enjoyment, Jones was more into blues, contemporary acoustic and jazz, and in the late 70's he moved to France to start a solo career.

It proved to be a resounding success as his efforts led him to the land his heroes Dylan and Hendrix hailed from, the United States of America.

Jones was living with his family in Zurich, Switzerland when they decided it was time for a change and moved to New Zealand, via Australia.

They have been here ever since.

"We had never been here, so it was kind of a long shot in the dark, but what we noticed immediately was the fact that it was very friendly," Jones says.

"After all this time, I still enjoy performing, writing and teaching workshops in schools which I do throughout all of New Zealand."

Paul Ubana Jones is performing at the Marton Players Theatre on Saturday, March 16 at 7pm. Tickets are available at Ray White Marton for $30 or door sales are $35.