Banjoist Béla Fleck, harmonica and keyboardist Howard Levy, bassist Victor Wooten, and percussionist / drumitarist Roy “Future Man” Wooten have been creating some of the most forward-thinking music throughout their remarkable careers. Drawing from a vast array of genres – from classical and jazz to bluegrass, African music, electric blues, and Eastern European folk – their sound is impossible to define. It’s a unique musical language forged by the union of four brilliant minds, each contributing something distinct to the whole. Simply put, it is The Flecktones: music that only emerges when these four musicians come together.

Fleck first united the band in 1988 for a performance on PBS’ Lonesome Pine Special, but the connection between the four musicians was immediate and deep. Their bond was built on a shared commitment to pushing the boundaries of music and creativity. Three groundbreaking albums and countless performances followed, but in late 1992, Levy decided to step away.

By 2008, however, the band found itself at a crossroads, embarking on a temporary hiatus. Fleck, Coffin, and the rest of the group were pursuing solo projects, but the pull of the Flecktones was strong. As Future Man describes, the “paintbrushes of fate” intervened when Coffin was invited to join Dave Matthews Band after the death of saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Fleck encouraged him to take the opportunity, believing it would breathe new life into both DMB and the Flecktones.

Each band member had been pursuing their own artistic ventures. Fleck collaborated with world-renowned musicians like Chick Corea, Zakir Hussain, and Edgar Meyer, and explored African music in his acclaimed Throw Down Your Heart project. Victor Wooten’s solo tours, clinics, and recordings, including the SMV project with Stanley Clarke and Marcus Miller, continued to raise his profile. Future Man focused on his innovative Black Mozart project and the development of new instruments. Despite these individual pursuits, all four musicians felt the pull of the Flecktones.

n 2009, they reunited for a tour that spanned the US and Europe, with Levy back on board. “It felt just like when we first started playing together,” Wooten says. “Just with a lot less hair.” Following the tour, the four musicians felt inspired to continue exploring the band’s possibilities, a sense of unfinished business lingering from when Levy had first left.

For Fleck, Levy’s return was key to fulfilling the original vision of the Flecktones: “Each of us reinventing our instruments, each of us creating something new with every note. The return of Howard gave us a chance to pick up where we left off, pushing further into that vision.”

Now, when The Flecktones come together, “It’s like discovering a different version of a legendary band,” Future Man says, likening their reunion tours to an audience experiencing an iconic group for the first time.

The magic of that lineup has now reassembled for a run of west coast shows, as the Flecktones have announced a 2025 tour:

Aug 24 The Magnolia El Cajon, CA
Aug 25 The Ford Los Angeles, CA
Aug 26 The UC Theatre Berkeley, CA
Aug 28 The Shedd Institute Eugene, OR
Aug 29 Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall Portland, OR
Aug 30 The Gorge Amphitheatre George, WA
Sep 1 Argyros Performing Arts Center Ketchum, ID

For tickets and more: Click Here