He is working on his eighth album as he tours the North Island.
The Wanganui gig will be his fifth of the tour when he performs at the Riverside Bar in Taupo Quay on Sunday and the venue itself played a significant part in Ubana Jones' decision to return.
"I like Wanganui," Ubana Jones said.
"I first played here back in about 1988 at Fosters (now the home of Stellar). I've played there several times, although the last time I was in Wanganui was probably in the early 2000s."
Over the years Wanganui was a regular gig for top touring musicians. But sadly, while the River City has a vibrant local music scene, venues began to disappear. Even many of the locals were forced to travel to ply their trade. Big-name bands and top solo artists were few and far between for a number of years.
The opening of the Riverside Bar about three months ago appears to be helping reverse that trend.
Owner Paul Sheehan and his sidekick Paul "Fletch" Christian are totally committed to supporting local, national and international artists.
Sheehan was born and raised in Wanganui, while Fletch is a Wellingtonian. The pair met during their extended time in London and returned to Wanganui to open the Riverside Bar.
Sheehan runs the bar side of things, while Fletch is responsible for marketing and booking musicians.
Whanganui Musicians' Club vice-chairman and a member of touring band The Blue Veinz, Johnny Keating, said this was a first the River City in many a year.
The Blue Veinz played the Riverside Bar earlier this month.
"Having an in-house PA, lighting system and resident soundman is a first for Wanganui and it's an attraction for bands. The alternative is having to bring their own or hire it, and that affects margins substantially," Keating said.
"We've lost that many pubs over the years, and venues virtually disappeared apart from the underground scene, which is still going strong but limited to certain audiences. We have Space Monster upstairs in the old Chronicle building on the corner of Drews Ave and Rutland St. It started as Stink Magnetic and hosts New Zealand and international touring acts. But there is a definite resurgence in touring bands returning to wider Wanganui audiences."
Space Monster owner Jack Mitchell-Anyon agreed, although the brand of music played at the venue is certainly non-mainstream.
"Yes, there's definitely more bands coming here. We have bands from Europe, Japan, America, Australia - all over, really," Mitchell-Anyon said.
"I try and make it easy for them and have quite an investment in gear, but I'm happy to go out and find whatever they need to play. The difference with us is that we only have bands with original material - we don't have cover bands."
Further proof was the unsolicited calls Fletch received this week alone from three bands - two Kiwi-based and one from Sydney.
"In the three months we've been here, we've probably hosted around 30 bands or solo artists and that's a mix of local, national and international," Fletch said.
Ubana Jones conceded having an in-house system and the growing popularity of the Wanganui pub scene was a factor in his decision to again include Wanganui on his touring schedule.
"It's great not to have to bring your own PA system, and what that shows is a strong commitment to the music scene," Ubana Jones said.
Paul Ubana Jones plays at the Riverside Bar on Sunday 5.30pm-7.30pm with The Black Trio opening the session. Tickets at $25 are limited to 90 because it is a seated concert. Bookings can be made at the venue or by visiting www.riversidebar.co.nz