Long trail leads Jones to debut

Press, 1 September 1989, Page 25

Long trail leads Jones to debut

By

NEVIN TOPP

Pagan Records could be regarded as the most eclectic of the independent labels in New Zealand. Trevor Reekie somehow manages to choose acts that have both artistic and commercial appeal — The Warratahs being the best example. Now it is the turn of Paul Übana Jones, one man and a guitar, with more musical influences than the fingers on the hands that he uses to play. In spite of playing in a large number of countries in Europe, America, and Africa, the album released by Pagan last month represents Jones’s debut. This may not only be a tribute to the artistic quality of the work and the astute nature of Reekie, but also evidence that New Zealand is a small country where the solo artist has been making a marked impression. Although Jones had been in this country for 18 months, it took a support slot with the Crowded House/Schnell Fenster tour in January to bring him to national prominence. Sandwiched between the two commercial bands, Jones still managed to hold the audience with his blues ambience, unusual covers, beautiful voice, and exceptional guitar playing. Reekie first caught Jones opening the Ladysmith Black Mambazo concert last year. Since the Crowded House tour, Jones has also opened for Womack and Womack and most recently, Phoebe Snow. There must be something about McCormick Country, for Jones resides at Gisborne and knows Gary well, incidentally, but it is his cosmopolitan nature that gives this artist great appeal, plus his down-to-earth musical approach. He has been presenting music workshops at schools. Jones has also spread his workshops to maraes and is proposing to hold similar functions in prisons. His workshops, which have been supported by the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council, deal with such matters as tracing the roots of rock music, and the influences of musical styles on it; blues is just one example. Such is the popularity of his workshops that he is booked to return to the Zurich canton, Switzerland, for three months to present more workshops in the region. Jones lived in Switzerland before shifting to Australia and then New Zealand. He and his family have lived in New Zealand for more than two years. His upbringing may explain his diverse musical styles. His father was Nigerian and his mother from Yorkshire. Jones was bom and raised in London, and music was very much part of his upbringing, spanning African music, English folk music, blues music, and rock. At the age of 11, he worked week-ends at a golf course to save money to buy a guitar, which he did. He taught himself to play and read music, and his determination won him a scholarship at the Chiswick Music Conservatory, London, when he was 20. He spent more than three years at the conservatory, before touring. Meanwhile, work is under way to organise a national tour for Jones,, which should include dates in Christchurch next month.