Label: Not On Label – ACR 8054 Format: Vinyl, LP Country: Canada Released: 1981 Genre: Classical Style: Contemporary
Enigmatic personal solo piano recordings from Canadian outsider composer / pianist George Bertok. Deadstock airhorn!
Perhaps the best way to introduce this one is to explain how it came about. I first heard Bertok’s ‘Duet’ on the excellent Tabi Tape from Atsuo Ogawa back in 2022 - it’s jaunty, breezy and wonderfully rhythmic dance for what sounds like 4 hands on the keys was instantly captivating. At least a year was spent trying to track down a copy, with there being little to no information about the record other than a pretty bare Discogs page, eventually I found one on a Canadian ebay listing and I’ve really cherished it ever since. Fast forward a few years and The Wire got in touch asking for a chart for the magazine, I choose to pick out 15 favourite recordings for solo piano and the George Bertok LP was obviously included. One year later a chance reader picked up the magazine (Michael from WTETN Records), noticed the chart, the inclusion of the Improvisations LP and got in touch to say that George was his piano teacher in Ontario when he was a teacher. He explained that George received little to no recognition for his obvious talent as a composer / pianist and resultantly happened to be sat on a good quantity of his self-produced LP from 1981. The world took no notice.
These seemingly unlikely synchronistic events certainly add to the magic of this record but taken purely at face value it’s an engrossing time capsule of personal expression. Mind-bogglingly technical yet steeped in the glow of the early morning sun, recalling the likes of Albert Alan Owen and Dominique Lawalrée yet tuned entirely to its own key. (NM - unplayed deadstock - 1 per person pls)
Tracklist A1 First Impressions 8:00 A2 Garden Of Light 6:30 A3 Nocturne 6:00 B1 Duet 6:00 B2 Snowswirls 8:00 B3 For Rose 4:30
