Brian Kalinec

BERNICE LEWIS Bernice Lewis has been a national touring artist for three decades. Her performing resume includes almost every grassroots and established venue in the U.S,, including the Kerrville Folk Festival, the Winnipeg Folk Festival, the Kennedy Center, and Uncle Calvin’s. A Singer/Songwriter, a published poet, a producer and recording artist with seven albums to her credit, and an educator extraordinaire, she has worked with Dar Williams, Bobby McFerrin, Rosanne Cash, Peter. Paul, and Mary, Dixie Chicks, Christine Lavin, Patty Griffin, and Patty Larkin. "For me, it's about the songs, each different, each a well thought out message, each a labor of love," says Bernice Lewis. Steve Morse of the Boston Globe calls her “An enlightening presence.” “Bernice is a voice full of light and hope. She is one of the keepers of the flame of Real Songwriting.”– Rosanne Cash SARAH PIERCE Sarah Pierce, the daughter of a cowboy, raised in a family of cattlemen, was born in Rockford, Illinois and raised in rural West Texas. Sarah states "I love the west. It is my honor to live in it, protect it, write, and sing about it.” Sarah has toured hundreds of thousands of miles - both domestic and foreign - receiving rave reviews at fairs, festivals, conventions, and concert dates from New York City to Los Angeles and Northern British Columbia to San Antonio, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Scandinavia. “Sarah’s voice and music are constantly an emotional treatment, pensive, persuasive & immersed in sincerity. Her vocal presence … is magnetic.” – John Apice, Americana Highways Now, proudly on Berkalin Records, Blessed By The West released in September 2024. The title cut, “Blessed by the West”, penned by Sarah, Randy Palmer, and Merel Bregante, was recently announced as the winner of the Spur Award by the Western Writers of America. RANDY PALMER Randy Palmer is a cross between a painter and a poet. He has roots deep inside a bucket. A son of a painting paint contractor, Randy has an ingrown desire to make things beautiful. You read it in his lyrics and you hear it in his voice as he brings his songs to life. ”Like the very best in folk-country music, Randy draws empathy for his characters with a perspective that never overstates his viewpoint, leaving you with a desire to hear the next chapter in their lives.” Alan Cackett, July 2022. John M Crossett III describes Palmer’s work as “singer/songwriter at its finest. Randy writes catchy tunes that, when you listen, are not your typical fluff but offer meanings that can give you pause to think " ... " There are only a handful of singer/songwriters that I can think of that reach this lofty plateau”. JIM PATTON & SHERRY BROKUS Jim Patton and his wife and musical collaborator Sherry Brokus make the kind of music that’s driven by both passion and purpose. They take sketches of everyday life and transform them into songs that ring and resonate in ways that are both mindful and memorable. They write “…tales of universal life, love and woe with the slyness of Hemingway and the convoluted depth of William Faulkner.”. Patton's new songs, on their latest album, Harbortowne, explore relevant themes of loneliness and dreams gone bad, and plans gone wrong, and how hard it is for two people to get along even when they love each other and have each other's best interest at heart. “They are so passionate about their music. I’ve always been drawn to artists who write about their life experiences, and that’s just what Jim and Sherry do. I’m glad to be a part of their music.” - Lloyd Maines BRIAN KALINEC Texan Brian Kalinec has been called "a combination of Woody Guthrie, John Steinbeck, James Taylor, and Rodney Crowell in the stories he tells" in a review in music magazine Rootsy. Marilyn Rea Beyer, host of Midnight Special & Folkstage, WFMT describes Brian’s performance and writing as "Down to earth vocals with some “What was that, again?” lyrics.“ Winning events such as the Songwriter Serenade Competition and the Big Top Chautauqua Song Contest, placing second in the Woody Guthrie Song Contest and being chosen as a three-time finalist in the UK Songwriting Contest, has brought Brian significant recognition as a writer. He has appeared at the Kerrville Folk Festival, and venues such as Uncle Calvin's in Dallas, The Bugle Boy in La Grange, and as a featured guest on Folkstage on WFMT in Chicago. In addition to his appearances in the US, Brian also tours in Scotland and the UK. Brian and his wife Pam own Berkalin Records.