All music is “acoustic” is a claim made on “Auzar”, Northwoods Improvisers' latest CD. This is a claim they had made on every possible occasion in the past. Definitively, this is a climate they work best in. Without argument, their warm style lends itself to a purely acoustic environment the best. 'Gemini' is a ferocious way to start off any record. With its blend of late-Coltrane styling, Mike Carey and Faruq Z. Bey engage in a vicious duel that lasts most of the piece. It's interesting to hear how Mike Gilmore tries to slip in his marimba styling beneath this man-made tornado. The record itself has this driving rhythm to it, this sense of direction that is just so catchy and infectious.