PORTLAND — Multi-Grammy Award winner Bela Fleck & the Flecktones will perform Saturday, Aug. 27, at the State Theatre.

Bela 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. Soon after, he joined the progressive bluegrass band New Grass Revival, where he made a name for himself in the country-bluegrass world. At the same time, he was releasing a series of solo albums for Rounder Records.

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 its 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 on-stage 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.

He has a total of 12 Grammy Awards, including a 2010 Grammy for Best Contemporary World Music Album.

The show will be at 7:30 p.m. at the State Theatre, 609 Congress St. Tickets, $40, $35 and $30, are available at the Cumberland County Civic Center box office, by calling 800-745-3000 and online at www.statetheatreportland.com. This is an all-ages show

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