In 1977, the multi-instrumentalist, composer and band leader Vinny Golia formed Nine Winds Records. Since that time Nine Winds has grown substantially, presenting New Jazz, Contemporary Classical, and Improvised music from the West Coast of North America.

The catalogue includes selections from kindred spirits such as: pianists Paul Plimley, Richard Grossman, Bob Rodriquez, Tad Weed, Dave Ferris and Wayne Peet, percussionists Dick Berk, Brad Dutz, and Alex Cline, bassists Bertram Turetzky, Ken Filiano, Lyle Ellis, Steuart Liebig, and Eric von Essen, guitarists Larry Koonse and Nels Cline, saxophonists Kim Richmond, John Gross, Bert Wilson, Rich Halley, Tony Malaby and Steve Adams, trombonists George Lewis, John Rapson, Joey Sellers, and Michael Vlatkovich, vocalist Bonnie Barnett and the Barnett Band, the electric groups of flugelhorn/trumpet player John Fumo, Doppler Funk, Continuum, Lunar Adventures, Quartetto Stig, and Sub-Media, along with many others, such as the New Klezmer Trio, Wadada Leo Smith, Mark Harvey's 20 piece Jazz Ensemble Aardvark, The New Orchestra Workshop, and Big World. All these groups are from North America's West coast.

Today, over 120 releases later, the Nine Winds label is known for both its high quality recording values as well as its consistently intelligent and adventurous music. The albums have garnered critical acclaim in diverse publications throughout Canada, the United States, Europe and Japan. In addition, Golia's album, Solo (NW 0104), received an award of merit from the National Association of Independent Record Distributors and Manufacturers. Almost every year records from the Nine Winds catalog have been picked by critics and readers of journals for their "years ten best" lists. Nine Winds has become quite a special label representing the under-valued musicians from North America's West coast. The label's recent releases have documented the new music scene from Vancouver B.C. to San Diego, California.

A brief overview of the other musicians appearing on the label in various roles includes John Carter, Bobby Bradford, Bobby Shew, Chuck Metcalf, Michael Formanek, Phil Sparks, Rob Blakeslee, Bruce Fowler, Kendall Kay, Stuebig, Billy Mintz, Mike Fahn, Bob Sheppherd, Kate Hammet Vaughn, Claude Ranger, Tim Berne, Ricky Kelly, Roberto Miranda, John Gross, Tootie Heath, Herman Riley, Clay Jenkins, Mike Fahn, Ben Goldberg, Kenny Wollesen, Sam Most, Jeff Kaiser, Baikida Carroll, and Kei Akagi to name only a few.