James Patrick Gavin is a North London-born multi-instrumentalist and composer whose roots stretch from County Fermanagh in Ireland to the Basque Country. Renowned for his expressive fiddle and guitar playing, he fuses Irish traditional music with contemporary, jazz, and experimental influences. His acclaimed solo debut Chewing The Fat (2018) was praised by Folk Radio UK and The Living Tradition for its daring blend of heritage and innovation, while KLOF Mag called it a deeply personal and imaginative record.
James is also a member of the acclaimed trio TEYR, described by Folk Radio UK as “High-energy brilliance” and widely recognised for their bold, contemporary reimagining of British and Irish folk song. National press acclaim further underlines their reputation:
The Guardian Observer ★★★★ – “In a class of their own”
The Financial Times – “Nimble-fingered and energetic”
The Sunday Times – “Exceptionally polished”
Folk Radio UK – “The very top tier of today’s Folk Music”
Gavin’s playing features prominently across the modern folk scene, from his work with Jez Hellard & The Djukella Orchestra—where his fiddle is a driving force behind albums like Heavy Wood and The Fruitful Fells—to The Rad Orchestra, whose genre-defying mix of Celtic and desert-blues influences was described as “exciting” and “cross-cultural” by Pennyblack Music.
His more recent work includes A Curious Dance (2023), a collaboration with Paddi Benson and Grace Lemon that Tradfolk.co hailed as “four incredible musicians making music that is effortlessly strange…the soundtrack to a dancefloor overrun by unquiet ghosts.”
Gavin also appears on Rooftop Assembly’s 2024 EP Storeys, expanding his reach into string-driven, genre-blending projects.
He is also one-third of GAVIN FAIRHALL LEVER, whose second album Tearing Down Walls (released Feb 2025) earned strong reviews for its “razor-edged instinct for arrangement” (Spiral Earth) and “an exhilarating mashing together of Celtic traditional music and jazz harmony.” (The Guardian).
The end of 2025 saw the broadcast of The Dead Reeds Project on RTÉ lyric fm’s The Lyric Feature. James collaborated with Paddi Benson, Grace Lemon and Niamh O’Brien to explore the craft and culture of uilleann pipe reeds in contemporary folk music. He also worked with the team to record, edit, mix and produce the programme.
Listen here: https://www.rte.ie/radio/lyricfm/clips/22558218/
James has also recorded and performed for artists such as Boy George, Wolf Alice, Cara Dillon, Maxim Rad, John Devine and many others.
Whether performing solo or within these ensembles, Gavin’s music remains rooted in a sense of place, storytelling, and experimentation—bridging traditional folk authenticity and contemporary edge, and earning him both critical acclaim and a reputation as a performer of warmth, virtuosity, and fearless creativity.
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