Reading about Justin Kalk‘s musical development brings to mind something of an artistic trident: the first prong a reverence for the past, strengthened by an early introduction to instruments and past masters, enhanced by a formal musical education; the second, a tendency to experiment and take chances; and the third a dedication to always move forward. Somewhere at a crossroads between each of these elements is the new Justin Kalk Orchestra album, VoLcanO, though in keeping with the latter, despite having just released the new full-length, Kalk is already looking ahead to what’s next.
Speaking of his father via email, Kalk reflects being surrounded by music at an early age, “I remember crawling up to his Gibson 335 and strumming it back when it was taller then I was.” His great uncle taught him how to play lead guitar — early influences that still ring throughout Kalk’s music included Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and Jeff Beck — and his grandparents would take him to jazz concerts at a young age, introducing him to many of the musicians along the way. While recognizing early on that music was going to be an essential part of his life, looking back Kalk says he had to fully invest himself in music if he was going to make something of his calling. “Berklee just seemed like the most logical next step if I was going to be serious.”