Album Notes

Born and raised in Washington State, Bertoldi's learned all he knows about music from listening to other songwriters and musicians. He's been strongly inspired and influenced by the music of Robert Johnson, Lightnin' Hopkins, Little Walter, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, and Tom Waits, just to name a few.

This is Bertoldi's first CD. He recorded it at home on a four-track, handling all the vocals and instruments, including acoustic and slide guitars, drums, harmonica, and percussion. He blends powerful lyrics, sparse arrangements, and soulful vocals to great effect; his songs are very accessible, but also memorable.

He started writing his own songs about ten years ago, and it came as a welcome surprise to learn that--along with his family and friends--professional critics also appreciate his work. About half the songs and/or lyrics on this record have been recognized in major song contests, including the John Lennon Song Contest, Billboard Song Contest, Unisong Contest, and the American Songwriter Magazine's Lyric Contest.

His song "Black Coffee in the Mornin'" earned him a Runner Up Award in the 1998 John Lennon Song Contest, placing 5th out of more than 2,200 songs in the Folk category. "Black Coffee..." also brought him an Honorable Mention Award in the R&B/Blues category of the 1999 Billboard Contest, finishing " 278th out of all (tens of thousands) entries."

This project was very near to completion several years ago, but was sidelined due to family and work commitments. So, two sons, another college degree, and several years later, here is "Stronger not Bitter."

Bertoldi is also a picture maker, and you can check out one of his paintings and one of his drawings on the CD cover and insert.