Davy Spillane

Let's be honest: The uilleann pipes hardly seem a rock star kind of instrument. Known mainly as an Irish traditional instrument, the uilleann (pronounced "illen") pipes are a small, lap-sized bagpipe. It's a remarkably expressive instrument, with a tart, vocal tone capable of expressing almost any emotion, from giddy joy to the deepest melancholy. But because its sound is old-fashioned and intimate, it barely seems appropriate for a packed theater, much less a screaming stadium crowd.

Let's be honest: The uilleann pipes hardly seem a rock star kind of instrument. Known mainly as an Irish traditional instrument, the uilleann (pronounced "illen") pipes are a small, lap-sized bagpipe. It's a remarkably expressive instrument, with a tart, vocal tone capable of expressing almost any emotion, from giddy joy to the deepest melancholy. But because its sound is old-fashioned and intimate, it barely seems appropriate for a packed theater, much less a screaming stadium crowd.

*** BRYAN ADAMS "Unplugged" A&M Adams' biggest hits in the '90s have been the sort of sweeping, romantic ballads that are staples of adult-contemporary radio. But with this live album, he reinforces his cachet as an earnest but gritty roots-rocker.

Davy Spillane and Donal Lunny are two of the great names in contemporary Irish music. Together with Christy Moore, they founded the seminal group Moving Hearts in 1982, and both have new albums out this month. Spillane has emerged as one of the most-heard players of the now-popular Uilleann pipes (the instrument heard prominently on the "Titanic" soundtrack), and the inspiration for the music of "Riverdance" (which featured him in the initial London and U.S. runs).