DJ Compilation of the Month: Subway Music MP3s

From November 2001 until May 2002, Dan Bodah's Airborne Event program featured a weekly dose of free-range sounds from both above and below the streets of New York City. It was called The Subway Music Series, and it featured wildly varied music- everything from drum squads and Chinese erhu players to classical guitarists, bagpipe marching bands, and down-on-their-luck soul singers.  Dan's 2003 marathon premium, Beautiful Sounds from Under the Ground, collected the best of these recordings on one CD. Here are all nine tracks as MP3s. You can see all of our previous DJ Compilations of the Month right here.

The Ewlis Mason Quintet   |   Drums On The Number Six Platform   |   J. Darryl Williams

Ayan Drumming in Times Square   |   Sax Duo Saco and Erica at Columbus Square

Dimali Drumming in Union Square   |   Thai Erhu Music at The Port Authority

Tin Pot Drummer at The Port Authority   |   Nelson Singing a Medley at Castle Clinton

(Photo by Marcus Hartel.)

Comments

[Gavin Amateur]

Fabulous stuff. After both Ewlis Mason Quintet numbers I was half-expecting rapturous applause!

[mike lupica]

I have told Mr. Bodah on several occasions that the man named "Nelson" who here sings a medley at Castle Clinton, is one of the most drop-dead amazing field recordings I've ever heard. Seriously.

[Dan B.]

I was recently at Castle Clinton (the old fort inside Battery Park, where tickets to the Statue of Liberty are sold) and I saw Nelson there again. I think he's still a regular. He was singing some of these same songs.

[Peter]

You should reach out to this guys at SubwayRecords.com They provide FREE e-commerce to subway musicians.