Béla Fleck, often considered the premiere banjo player in the world, picked up the banjo at age 15 after being awed by the bluegrass playing of Flatt & Scruggs.

In 1989 Fleck and Victor Wooten formed Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, along with keyboardist and harmonica player Howard Levy and Wooten's percussionist brother Roy "Futureman" Wooten, who played synthesizer-based percussion. The band made their self-titled debut recording in 1990 by playing a "blu-bop" mix of jazz and bluegrass , soon becoming a commercially successful, critically-acclaimed and award-winning band. Levy left the group in 1992, making the band a trio until saxophonist Jeff Coffin joined the group onstage part-time in 1997, eventually becoming a permanent member.

Fleck has been nominated for Grammys in more categories than any other musician in history (jazz, bluegrass, pop, country, spoken word, Christian, composition and world music categories) and has shared Grammy wins with Asleep at the Wheel, Alison Brown, and Edgar Meyer. Fleck has a total of 12 Grammy Awards, including a 2010 Grammy for Best Contemporary World Music Album.