Violinist, composer, producer, label owner and concert promoter Jeff Gauthier has been named a Downbeat “Rising Star” as both violinist and producer for several years running. He has worked with many prominent musicians in a variety of creative contexts during a career that has spanned over 25 years. As an improvising violinist he has performed and recorded with Yusef Lateef and Adam Rudolph for Meta Records, The Alex Cline Ensemble for ECM, Nine Winds & Cryptogramophone Records, the Cline Gauthier Stinson trio for Cryptogramophone and Nine Winds Records, and The Vinny Golia Large Ensemble and Quartetto Stig for Nine Winds Records. His own ensemble, The Jeff Gauthier Goatette has recorded six CDs including Internal Memo and The Present for Nine Winds and Mask, One and the Same, House of Return, and Open Source for Cryptogramophone. Gauthier has also performed in ensembles with bassist Mark Dresser (Banquet) and drummer/percussionist Gregg Bendian (Bone Structure). As a founding member of the ensemble Quartet Music (with Nels Cline, Alex Cline and Eric von Essen) in the late 70s, Gauthier recorded four albums, received several NEA and California Arts Council grants, and performed twice as soloist with the Milwaukee Symphony. Gauthier also founded and produced the long running Cryptonight new music concert series at the Club Tropical in Los Angeles, and is currently co-producer of The Angel City Jazz Festival.