The Guest List
Thursday July 17th, 2025 with Joe Reilly
Interviews with Phil Motion and Ray Tabana of Dystsoh, and Ron Sexsmith - all appearing at Bluefest this week

We open the show in conversation with Phil Motion and Ray Tabana. Both were part of Ottawa's sensation Soul Jazz Orchestra and they are now making big, uplifting, Afro-vibing music as a duo called Dystoh. They released an amazingly vibrant album in 2024 titled Heat of the Times, and are appearing at Bluesfest at 6 p.m. on Thursday (July 16th.) We talk about the legacy of the Soul Jazz Orchestra and how Dystoh brings to life it's big sound with only two people on stage. We also talk about the sociop-political nature of some of these songs that tell the stories of people stuck in circumstances they want to get out of. And of course... we discuss the amazing baritone saxophone!! For more information and music by Dystoh: https://dystoh.com/ https://dystoh.bandcamp.com/album/heat-of-the-times-2 For information about Dystoh's performance at Bluesfest: https://ottawabluesfest.ca/artists/#/event/dystoh Ron Sexsmith has been on the show many times over the years, and it's always a pleasure to connect with one of Canada's finest singer-songwriters. We talk about his song from 2004, "Wishing Well," and how its theme seems just as vital today as we move through challenging times. We talk about his long, track record of great albums full of amazing songs and how he came to be a songwriter. We also discuss his challenges in elementary school (reflected in the song "What I Had In Mind") and some other amazing songwriters from Toronto like Kyp Harness - who listeners know I love!! Ron tells us he will be playing as a duo at Bluesfest on Friday night and then we play a single from his new album coming in late August. For more information about Ron's show at Bluesfest: https://ottawabluesfest.ca/schedule/#/event/ron-sexsmith For more information about Ottawa Bluesfest: https://ottawabluesfest.ca/ Thanks for listening to the Guest List today. Get out and see some live music this week and support independent music in any way that you can. And don't forget that The Guest List is sponsored by Spaceman Music, located at 388 Gladstone Avenue, just west of Bank. Visit Spaceman for all of your music making needs and don't forget they have a great repair shop and offer music lessons. Check out Spaceman online at: https://www.spacemanmusic.com/