A look through the best of Davy Spillane albums on the low whistle and uilleann pipes from "Eastwind" to "Out of Air."
I consider myself very fortunate that we were brought up in South Dublin; just twenty minutes from the Wicklow Mountains, and around an hour from Glendalough. There are six kids in our family, and we loved going on drives when we were children.
We listened to a steady diet of traditional music, classical music, Stevie Wonder and The Beatles. But, when we traveled to Glendalough, dad always played album: "Out of Air," by Davy Spillane, Ireland’s most famous uilleann piper.
He would blast haunting track "River of Gems" out the window of our Volvo Estate (which had seen better days!), as we drove along winding roads, surrounded by beautiful scenery. It must have had a calming effect on us. I remember all of us quietening down, listening intently – which was no mean feat!
Davy Spillane learned uilleann pipes (pronounced il-in) when he was twelve. The uilleann pipes are a variation on Scottish Bagpipes. However, Irish adapted bagpipes into their own invention, using the elbow to take pressure off blowing arduously into a mouthpiece; hence, ‘uilleann’ is Irish (Gaelic) for the elbow.
Born in Dublin in 1959, Davy joined Moving Hearts in 1981. He was a founding member, along with Donal Lunny and Christy Moore.
Uilleann pipes practice set.
He branched out and collaborated with other musicians, as he worked on his solo albums. He combined uilleann pipes with contemporary; jazz and rock to create an interesting take on traditional music. "Litton Lane" with famous Irish guitarist, Rory Gallagher, is another fantastic track from "Out of The Air."
After "Out of Air," he released "Shadow Hunter" in 1990, and then "Eastwind" in 1994. Riverdance Composer, Bill Whelan worked on "Eastwind" - a year later Riverdance wowed the world. Davy Spillane went on to play with Riverdance as a special guest soloist.
So discover (or rediscover) Davy Spillane! Take a look at his excellent discography. Check out "River of Gems" and "Journey of A Dreamer," in nice little YouTube homages I’ve picked out for you below.
Read more: UNESCO gives special designation to uilleann piping
A couple of weeks ago, my brother proposed to his girlfriend down in Glendalough, when he rang me to tell me his news that evening - what was I listening to? "River of Gems" - of course!
Are you a Davy Spillane fan?
*Originally published in 2013 in Ireland of the Welcomes.
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