Bela Fleck & The Flecktones

Bassist Victor Wooten began his musical career early. At age three, his brother Regi taught him to play bass, and at age five he made his stage debut with his four older brothers in the Wootens, playing songs by R&B mainstays like James Brown, Sly & the Family Stone, War, and Curtis Mayfield.

Composer and oudist Rabih Abou-Khalil generates variety and interest by bringing aboard different guest musicians for each album. The personnel on Sultan's Picnic is so similar to that of Blue Camel that one might expect them to sound similar. But there's a key difference in the presence of Howard Levy on Sultan's Picnic. Levy is a talented harmonica player who has done a lot of offbeat work, including a stint with Béla Fleck & the Flecktones. Despite the power of Charlie Mariano on alto sax and Kenny Wheeler on trumpet, this album is dominated by the idioms of the harmonica, specifically the jazzy, quirky, lackadaisical idiom popularized by Levy's work with the Flecktones. This domination is noticeable from the beginning, on "Sunrise in Montreal."

Five-time GRAMMY award-winning bass player, producer, composer, author, and educator Victor Wooten will release his first album in five years, TRYPNOTYX, September 8. In support of the album, he will hit the road with the Victor Wooten Trio this fall following August dates with Béla Fleck & The Flecktones of which he is a founding member.

The Warehouse is the official fan association for Dave Matthews Band. Founded on December 4, 1998, Warehouse gives fan early access to concert tickets, exclusive CDs and merchandise to its members.

Triodes is a genre-jumping instrumental group that traces its roots to the upbeat instrumental R+B, soul, and funk of groups such as Booker T and the MGs, The Meters, and Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters, but with generous nods to early reggae and ska, modern jam bands, experimental rock, jazz, and electronica. With a repertoire that puts an emphasis on solid grooves and an intriguing palette of sounds, the fun and funk of Triodes is delivered by Michael Occhipinti (guitar), Paul Neufeld (keyboards), Roberto Occhipinti (bass/producer), and Doan Pham (drums), with guests Jeff Coffin (saxophonist with Bela Fleck and The Flecktones & The Dave Matthews Band), rapper PHATT al and percussionist Luis Orbegoso.