Katana VentraIP

James Tyler (musician)

James Tyler (August 3, 1940 – November 23, 2010) was a 20th-century American lutenist, banjoist, guitarist, composer, musicologist and author, who helped pioneer an early music revival with more than 60 recordings.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

James Tyler

August 3, 1940

Hartford, Connecticut, USA

November 23, 2010

musicologist, author, composer

lute, banjo, guitar, cittern, mandora

1960s–2010

Arpeggio, L'Oiseau-Lyre, Nonesuch, Saga, RCA, Decca, others

Background[edit]

James Henry Tyler was born in Hartford, Connecticut. His father worked for Pratt-Whitney. Initially, he studied the banjo (classic 5-string and tenor) and Mandolin with Walter K. Bauer (1954–1958), then the lute with Joseph Iadone (1958–1961) and mandoline with Martha Blackman. He also played the cello.[1][2][4][5][6]

Personal and death[edit]

In 1975, Tyler married Joyce Geller in London.[1][2][6]


Tyler provided "very gentle leadership, always had a jolly smile on his face and was always positive," one of his USC students said in tribute.[4]


James Tyler died at age 70 on November 23, 2010, after a short illness.[1][2][4][5][6]

Legacy[edit]

In addition to many books on early music and recordings, Tyler left a legacy in his students. "He shaped the lives of so many students," said Lucinda Carver, a professor in the early music program at USC. "He was very demanding but extremely kind. He was an impeccable musician who knew what he wanted. He kept very high standards and was an absolutely beloved mentor."[4]

The Early Guitar: A History (Oxford University Press, 1980)

The Early Mandolin (Oxford University Press, 1992) (with Paul Sparks)

The Guitar and Its Music: From the Renaissance to the Classical Era (Oxford University Press, 2002/2007) (with Paul Sparks)

A Guide to Playing the Baroque Guitar (Indiana University Press, 2011)

Anthony Rooley

Musica Reservata

Consort of Musicke

Julian Bream

Early Music Consort of London

lute

cittern

mandora