James Tyler (3 August 1940 – 23 November 2010) was an American lutenist, banjoist, guitarist, composer, musicologist, author, and teacher and has been featured on over 60 early music recordings.
As a lutenist, he performed and recorded with New York Pro Musica, and also toured and recorded as a banjoist in the 1960's with Max Morath and the Original Rag Quartet. During the 1970s and 80s, he performed and recorded in London with Musica Reservata, the Consort of Musicke, the Julian Bream Consort and the Early Music Consort of London.
He founded his own ensemble, the London Early Music Group in 1977, which lasted until 1990. He composed music for BBC television productions of Shakespeare plays, and also made an appearance as a lutenist in the 1972 film, Mary Queen of Scots.