James Carty is one of the finest exponents of Sligo fiddle music and one of the leading players of his generation. Having grown up in a musical household in Boyle Co. Roscommon, James was exposed to lots of music from a young age. His father, John is an internationally renowned fiddle and banjo player. James however is cutting his own path in the traditional music scene with his own distinctive style which he has developed having grown up listening to the recordings of the old Sligo masters Michael Coleman, James Morrison, Paddy Killoran to name just three. 

James currently lives in London and has become one of the mainstays of the traditional music scene there. He teaches fiddle in the Mulkere Academy, privately and at various summer schools. He has also performed in Ireland, the UK, Canada and the USA as a solo musician.

James has appeared on a couple of commercial recordings, most notably The First of May with Harry Bradley on flute and At Complete Ease, with his father John and Brian Rooney. He has just completed his first solo album entitled “Hiding Daylight in Dark Corners” with accompaniment from Brian McGrath and Francis Gaffney.