Faulkner first emerged on the Irish scene in the late 60s – a younger contemporary of Philip Lynott, who played in a number of the most promising bands of the day.
He gravitated increasingly towards the blues and was a member of the Floating Dublin Blues Band, backing the legendary Tipperary blues shouter Red Peters.
Despite his own difficulties with drugs over the years, Faulkner cemented his reputation among Ireland's guitaring elite. In the scene that developed around the Meeting House, he was drawn into the contemporary folk milieu and played alongside many of the biggest names in Irish music – notably Christy Moore, Paul Brady and Luka Bloom.
He earned widespread admiration for his slide guitar playing, which attained a particularly lyrical quality. He also developed as a superb jazz guitarist, taking his influences from Django Reinhart among other sources and mastering the style of the Hot Club de France with apparent effortlessness.
Working as a session musician, Faulkner toured with Christy Moore, Jim Page, Mary Coughlan, Niall O Callanáin, Kieran Halpin, Francie Conway, Luka Bloom, Phil Callery, Lorraine Jordan, Martin Murray and Matt Maning and featured on numerous albums by all of the above, as well as Sean Smyth's remarkable Blue Fiddle.
More recently he had been playing in The Houseshaskers, with former Skid Row and Waterboys drummer Nollaig Bridgeman.
Jimmy had been ill for some time with cancer.