Driven By A Sound opens with a searing guitar line that is punctuated by harmonica and a full horn section as Osborn, Jackson and Mathis trade vocals and harmonize together on “When I Listen To The Blues.” The horns are sharp, tight and really bring an attraction that draws you into the music from the get go. Osborn’s guitar playing is terrific and tasteful, especially on the solo, working to perfection alongside the horns and the regular band. The horns were arranged masterfully by trumpet player Joe McCarthy and include Portland greats Brad Ulrich and Chris Mercer (who has played with practically the definitive who’s who in the music business world wide) on sax.

Dave Mathis displays his brilliance on the tin biscuit on his own composition “Retirement Blues” as he explains “growing old isn’t easy, it’s so hard to adjust, one day you’re working steady, the next you’re collecting dust.” “Live Wire” is an instrumental focusing wholly on t...