Since first picking up the banjo more than 35 years ago, Béla Fleck has become one of the instrument’s most prominent living performers. His CDs can be found under several genre labels at music stores, including bluegrass, jazz, folk and even classical. Whether performing with Béla Fleck and the Flecktones or as a solo artist or in a variety of other contexts, Fleck continues to take his playing in new directions.

Early prototypes of the banjo first came to America on slave ships from Africa and gradually took root in Appalachia. Fleck traveled to Africa a couple of years ago to explore the instrument’s origins and played with fellow musicians in Uganda, Tanzania, Senegal, Mali, South Africa and Madagascar.

“It was amazing to experience instruments that were so closely related to the original banjos,” Fleck said in a recent email interview. “Mostly I just love the music and getting swept up in the African groove.”

An independent documentary of Fleck’s African trip, called “Throw Down Your Heart,” is currently screening at locations around the United States. Fleck released a CD of the same title in 2009, featuring recordings of his collaborations in Africa. He said the trip changed his approach to playing banjo, and he plans to continue broadening his eclectic style with future projects.

“I hope everything I do contributes to a fluid concept on the banjo,” he said.

Fleck’s latest project, an international tour with famed bassist Edgar Meyer and Indian tabla percussionist Zakir Hussain, will bring him to the Blue Ocean Music Hall in Salisbury, Mass., on Wednesday, Aug. 11.

Born and raised in New York City, Fleck developed an early fondness for the bluegrass banjo work of legendary plucker Earl Scruggs. He got his first banjo at age 15 and immediately became a passionate player. He moved to Boston and released his first solo album, “Crossing the Tracks,” at age 19.

By the time he released his second album, 1981’s “Natural Bridge,” Fleck had already earned enough esteem to secure guest appearances from such bluegrass legends as David Grisman and Ricky Skaggs. The following year, he joined the New Grass Revival, led by famed mandolin and fiddle player Sam Bush. He remained with New Grass for the next nine years, while also continuing to record solo albums.

It was toward the end of his New Grass years that Fleck met electric bass phenom Victor Wooten and formed the Flecktones. Howard Levy played keyboards in the original band, and Wooten brought on his brother Roy, better known as “FutureMan,” to play drums (and invent his own instruments, such as the “drumitar”). Levy later departed the band, and saxophonist Jeff Coffin was added.

The Flecktones’ self-titled debut came out in 1990, introducing a style dubbed “blu-bop.” The group’s unique blend of bluegrass and jazz quickly captured the attention of fans, and the Flecktones became immensely popular in the jam band circuit. Although primarily known for their energetic live improvisations, they’ve now released more than a dozen albums and have another in the works.

“We will be recording again this fall and touring in December and next year extensively,” Fleck said. “Howard Levy will be rejoining us for 2011.”

Throughout his time with the Flecktones, Fleck has remained active in a variety of other projects and collaborations. He’s worked with Chick Corea, Bruce Hornsby, Branford Marsalis, John Medeski, Dave Matthews, Tony Rice, Amy Grant, Earl Scruggs, Bobby McFerrin, The Chieftains and many others. Over the course of his career, Fleck has been nominated for 27 Grammy Awards and won 11. He’s been nominated in more categories than any musician in Grammy history.

Fleck said he first performed with Edgar Meyer in the early 1980s in Aspen, Colo. Meyer was playing on the street in front of a Häagen-Dazs store and Fleck sat in, playing for free ice cream. The two developed instant chemistry.

“I think what Edgar brings to the music along with his formidable abilities on the bass is his incredible compositional talents and an insane work ethic,” Fleck said. “He makes me look like a slacker and I so work hard.”

The two later invited Zakir Hussain to help them write a triple concerto, and their relationship as a trio flourished. The Indian-born prodigy, who appeared on a George Harrison album in 1973, brought a new component to Fleck’s sound.

“I must say, playing with Zakir has had a huge impact on my playing and freshened everything up,” he said.

After so many diverse projects, Fleck has learned to readily adapt to different musical settings. He said his approach to each new collaboration entails feeling out the key and melody of the tune and improvising around them.

“I just be me and learn the songs,” he said. “I want what I do to always sound ‘right,’ whatever that means, so my unconscious goal is to do that.”

His travels and partnerships have also taught him about the historic role of music in different cultures. Just as the lineage of American genres like jazz and blues reflect the nation’s social and cultural history, so, too, does the music of West Africa.

“People use the music as a platform for change and social commentary, as well—like the folk movement did here,” Fleck said.

Previously unreleased tracks from Fleck’s African trip are included on “Throw Down Your Heart—Africa Sessions Part 2,” which is now available at www.belafleck.com. And Fleck has a number of other new projects on the horizon. “Throw Down Your Heart” was the third installment of his “Tales from the Acoustic Planet” series, which has previously explored acoustic jazz and bluegrass.

What new musical arena will Fleck dive into next?

“The possibilities are myriad,” he said. “Just wait and see.”

The show begins at 8 p.m. on Aug. 11 at the Blue Ocean Music Hall, 4 Oceanfront North, Salisbury, Mass., 978-462-5888, www.blueoceanhall.com. Tickets