He helped form the band Spectrum in 1981 before joining New Grass Revival. In 1987 he recorded the solo album Drive which was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album. In 1988 Bela Fleck and the Flecktones were formed and their second album Flight of the Cosmic Hippo reached #1 on the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. He has released a total of 12 solo studio albums, nine with New Grass Revival, and 14 with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. He has won a total of 13 Grammy Awards for Best Country Instrumental Performance, Best Pop Instrumental Performance, Best Instrumental composition, Best Contemporary Jazz Album, Best Instrumental Arrangement, Best Classical Crossover Album, and more.