European Reviews of “Collection: 2008-2018”
Micheles Kindh, Blaskans, Sweden: “The Tom Petty of Folk!” Has been epitomized about Jim Patton who, along with his wife Sherry Brokus, releases a record of songs made over a ten year period. An 18-song American record that really flows like a dream with stories, short stories to listen to instead of reading. Musical audiobook that I listen to that has rare luster in the tunes and lyrical lyrics. Shimmering country and folk rock.”
Michael Freerix, Folker, Germany: “Patton describes Bob Dylan, Van Morrison and Neil Young as his role models, which is easy to understand. He is a songwriter who prefers to tell stories rather than wallowing in private. His strengths are social and psychological commentary on the state of American society…”
Remo Ricaldone, Lonestartime, Italy “Jim Patton and Sherry Brokus represent the classic folk tradition of which the Texan scene is rightly proud in a record path that over the past ten years has produced four records packaged with care and love for the roots. The look back on these prolific years is now condensed in this “Collection: 2008-2018” which is a bit the summary of their career offering almost an hour of music for the beauty of eighteen songs. This album is certainly the best and most comfortable way to enter the crystalline, clear and inspired world of Jim Patton and Sherry Brokus.”
Wolfgang Giese, Music an Sich, Germany: “The focus of the eighteen songs is on the acoustic alignment, acoustic guitars, mandolins, dobro and cello combine to form a dense sound, with borrowings from folk and bluegrass…but also beautiful country songs traditional way sung by Sherry Brokus “Old Country Road”…when listening it becomes clear that the whole mood moves relatively uniformly through the eleven years, certainly also a guarantee that one has always delivered the same good quality. All in all, the music radiates a very warm mood, a mood that looks like sitting with the musicians and good friends and spending a good time.”
Rootsville, Belgium: “Moving from Baltimore to Austin back then, the folk-rock duo Jim Patton & Sherry Brokus were like coming home because they were lovingly received in the music city of Texas. Berkalin Records is also the home of this duo and after a rich career, a collection is now being released with songs from the past 10 years. This “Collection: 2008-2018” contains 18 songs and with “Mystery Ride” it even contains an unpublished track. Jim Patton and Sherry Brokus have sung together for 40 years. They led the folk rock band Edge City from Baltimore to Austin, where they recorded with Lloyd Maines, the guru of the record producers in Texas. In 2008 they released a fully acoustic album “Plans Gang Aft Agley” with producer Ron Flynt. An album that brought it to the top 30 of the Folk charts… Just like “Mystery Ride’, the demo ‘Hole in His Heart’ has never been released and so the fans on this rich collection also get to hear two scoops. Folk songs like ‘Old County Rd’ are good in the ear. Contributors to the album are Ron Flynt, Warren Hood, Rich Brotherton, Marvin Dykhuis, John Bush, Mary Cutrufello, and Scrappy Jud Newcomb. So don’t worry if you’re a layman in the work of Jim Patton and Sherry Brokus, because with this “Collection 2008-2018” you will be right up there, even ‘After the Dance’ … is over.”
Rootstime, Belgium: “Jim Patton and his wife Sherry Brokus have been releasing four acoustic albums in the ten years period between 2008 and 2018. With their latest album ‘Collection 2008-2018’, they have now selected 18 of their best songs from these 4 albums and thus are providing an excellent overview of their folk and rock songs that have been recorded during that decade.”
Jim Patton & Sherry Brokus 