About Sleepy Hollow

For three decades, WXPN listeners have depended on "the quiet sounds of Sleepy Hollow" to ease them gently into their weekends. With a reassuring blend of jazz, folk, instrumental, and contemporary acoustic music, Sleepy Hollow has become as much a fixture of weekend mornings as bagels and crossword puzzles.

Currently hosted by Keith Brand (Sunday 8-11am), John Diliberto (Sunday 6-8am) and Chuck Elliott (Saturday 6-10am), Sleepy Hollow is a signature show on XPN that has created a loyal and growing audience over the years. Featuring a spectrum of artists - from Miles Davis, Tom Waits and Joni Mitchell to Chet Baker, Norah Jones and Nick Drake - Sleepy Hollow is a place where mood and music combine to create a warm and relaxing weekend morning experience.

The secret of Sleepy Hollow's longevity and popularity is its distinct sound.

"It isn't always soft or slow," says Chuck Elliott who has hosted the show since its beginning. "It's more about creating a mood, a sense, an atmosphere. Sleepy Hollow is the way you want your weekend mornings to sound."

Keith Brand, who joined the show in 1988, says Sleepy Hollow "is the sound of people who intensively love music." From Bach to Beck and back, the show is a mixture of styles - a key element to Sleepy Hollow.

David Dye of World Cafe^® also hosted the show from 1989 to 1991 and is a long-time fan. With a commercial radio background, Dye brought a bit of the more familiar to the mix. But he also brought a deep respect for the tradition. "I started 're-listening' to everything with Sleepy Hollow in mind," he says. "Hosting the show opened me up to a lot of different music."

All of the hosts spend only a few hours on the air, but many hours searching for Sleepy Hollow music. "Each week I listen to innumerable CDs looking for just the right cuts - whether it's a haunting voice, unusual timing, or a chilling lyric," says Brand.

Another hallmark of the show is its programming themes which allow the hosts to program and weave together a wide variety of artists and songs in a creative manner. Keith Brand does a weekly Soundtrack feature at 9am on Sundays that has become a unique characteristic of the show. Other special shows that are popular with XPN listeners are the Winter Solstice, the annual Sleepy Hollow Thanksgiving, and Bastille Day Celebration.

When asked how they feel about doing the show, each host used the term "labor of love" to describe their experience. And that devotion is clear. " I couldn't see myself rising at 4am every Sunday morning," former host Sullivan says, "if the show didn't speak to my heart." Brand concurs. "It's the best job in radio," he says. And Elliott adds another sentiment, "When it's working, nothing feels better. It is a joy!"