With his hip vibes and soulful sound, this fresh young artist is bringing the cool factor back to the genre,’ says Trippin ’N Rhythm Records, referring to Detroit-based Lin Rountree. Born in New York in 1971, the trumpeter and producer grew up in Alexandria, Virginia, where he started playing the trumpet at the age of eleven. He was already considered a talent at high school and took part in music programmes at the Duke Ellington School for the Performing Arts. He later honed his skills at Florida A&M University, where he also earned a bachelor's degree in business administration. At the same time, Lin also studied the music of artists such as Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard and Tom Browne. In 2005, he made his debut with ‘Groovetree’ and went on to release several more highly regarded albums. 12 of his singles have reached the top of the Billboard charts, including the Billboard #1 hit ‘Pass The Groove’ from his latest CD. The outstanding live performer has also collaborated with some of the best R&B/contemporary jazz artists, such as George Duke, U-Nam and Tim Bowman.