Béla Fleck and the Flecktones is a primarily instrumental group from the United States, that draws equally on bluegrass, fusion, and jazz, sometimes dubbed "blue-bop." The band formed in 1988, initially to perform once on the PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) series Lonesome Pine Specials. The Flecktones have toured extensively since then, often playing over 200 concerts per year. Frontman Béla Fleck plays acoustic and electric banjos, mixing a bluegrass and folk sound into a modern improvisational style.