R.X. Bertoldi Music

Born and raised in Washington State, R.X. "Bob" 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.

Bertoldi recorded his first CD, "Stronger not Bitter" 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.

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."

Bertoldi's second CD release, "Frame Work Revisions" is a live recording cut one evening in an intimate local wine bar. It's a set of modern folk and blues that contains four previously unreleased originals and songs by the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Willie Dixon, and the Faces' classic "Ooh La La."

Like his hat drawings on the CD jacket and liner notes (and as the album title indicates), Bertoldi's originals and carefully-chosen covers offer a range of perspectives on modern times--homelessness, mental health, relationships, fatherhood, courage, and death.

His acoustic guitar, vocals, and harmonica (along with occasional "cafè noise"), make "Frame Work Revisions" an engaging night at the local bar with a mature, reflective performer and songwriter.