MUSIC_DIRECTOR for Pickin'
Paonia, Colorado, United States
Andrea "Dre" Castillo joined the KVNF staff in June, 2022. With a strong passion for music and people, Dre serves as the Music Director & DJ Coordinator. She is originally from the West Coast and moved to the Western Slope of the Rockies in 2016. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, rafting, drawing and going to see live music. You can catch her on the KVNF airwaves.
Latest Album Reviews
Review of Blue Fire: The Van Gelder Session (feat. Jared Gold & McClenty Hunter Jr.)
Album Info: Blue Fire: The Van Gelder Session (feat. Jared Gold & McClenty Hunter Jr.)
Dave Stryker Album: Blue Fire: The Van Gelder Session (feat. Jared Gold & McClenty Hunter Jr.) Label: Strikezone Genre(s): Contemporary Jazz Posted
By: Robert Silverstein
Jan 14, 2026
Review
Guitar ace Dave Stryker made a lot of jazz fans very happy with his 2024 album Stryker With Strings Goes To The Movies and Dave returns in early 2026 with Blue Fire. Subtitled The Van Gelder Sessions, the 9-track, 56-minute album title alludes to the historic Van Gelder Recording Studio in Paramus, New Jersey. The Van Gelder Recording Studio, started by the late great recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder, was where so many of the historic Blue Note and CTI albums were made including John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme.
In this setting, guitarist Dave Stryker and his trio, featuring Jared Gold (organ) and McClenty Hunter (drums), sets the studio on fire with a mix of Stryker originals and covers of legendary songs from the pens of Harry Warren, Charlie Parker and Jerome Kern. Amid the 4 Stryker originals is a track written by Jared Gold, while a
MOTU Album: Idiot At The Wheel Label: Self-Release Genre(s): Blues Rock Posted
By: Robert Silverstein
Jan 14, 2026
Review
Idiot At The Wheel is the 25th official album from Long Island’s MOTU®. He refers to it as his “Silver Anniversary” release. Once again, Dr Richard Michelson (MOTU) jumps across the genres of blues, rock, Americana and jazz fusion to deliver a seamless production touching on a variety of political and societal issues, while performing a range of instruments including keyboards, harmonica, acoustic & electric guitars, bass, pedal steel guitar, and dobro.
However, this time he is also joined by newcomers Susan Karejwa (bass), and Phil Reinstein (accordion) along with regulars Dee Michelson (vocals), Ed Modzel (drums) and Rich Fry (vocals and guitar). This group of talented musicians give this new album a different feel from MOTU’s past albums, but it is still definitely a MOTU album with all of the guitar shredding and harmonies that his fans have
Alex Skolnick Trio Album: Prove You're Not a Robot Label: Flatiron Genre(s): Fusion Posted
By: Robert Silverstein
Dec 24, 2025
Review
If variety be the spice of life, then play on. Brooklyn, NY-based guitarist Alex Skolnick echoes that in spades with the 2025 release of Prove You’re Not A Robot by the Alex Skolnick Trio. Free form jazz merges with Steve Howe influenced guitar sounds and easy on the ears Hank Marvin style melodic guitar works. Assisting is the rhythm section of Nathan Peck (bass) and Matt Zebroski (drums).
Highlights include the Steve Howe / Chick Corea inspired “Armando’s Mood”, which is actually an electric reworking inclusive of Howe’s most famous short form acoustic guitar work, “Mood For A Day”. Featuring the core music of the Howe track while building a harder shell for the extended 7:46 second version here, it’s a fascinating mashup of sorts. True the song has been plentifully covered over the years in its original acoustic guitar intent, yet
Maja Jaku Album: Blessed & Bewitched Label: Origin Genre(s): Contemporary Jazz Posted
By: Robert Silverstein
Dec 24, 2025
Review
Recorded in Brooklyn, NY, and released on the Washington state-based Origin Records label in 2025, Blessed & Bewitched is a fine introduction to the music of Austria-based singer Maja Jaku. With her intriguing-sounding name and colorful background in her native Kosovo, Maja is sure to stir up interest with her Origin debut. Ostensibly free form jazz filled with a variety of jazz and pop influences, Blessed & Bewitched is tastefully driven by Maja’s strong vocals. In addition, Maja also wrote, or co-wrote, all the music here, so there’s also a spark of originality in her music that is equally enjoyable.
Co-produced by Maja and drummer/percussionist Adrian Varady, Blessed & Bewitched traverses a wide range of vocal-based jazz styles and moods, proving its diversity is its strength. Another element here is the R&B element in the sound of her voice. Moved by
The Sound of Paros Album: Spacetime: Inspired by the Island Label: Arts Culture Europe Genre(s): Contemporary Jazz Posted
By: Joe Ross
Dec 21, 2025
Review
Imagine yourself in on an idyllic Greek island in the Aegean Sea, surrounded by beaches, architecture, culture, beauty, history and nightlife. Your vision is limited only by your own ingenuity and creativity. These eight tracks, each spanning 5 – 7 minutes, were brought to life in April of 2025 when a diverse group of musicians, photographers, designers and artists convened on Paros to capture an inspirational musical journey rooted in jazz, electronica, Mediterranean flavors and poetry. Members of The Sound of Paros are Marc Buronfosse (Fender VI, doublebass), Ferruccio Gadani (percussion), Arnaud Ginioux (electric bass), Panagiotis Kostopoulos (drums), Yiannis Papadopoulos (piano) and Stavros Manthos (saxophone). Special guests include Franco Ambrosetti (flugelhorn), Nefeli Fasouli (vocals), Kimon Xigkis (qanoun), Jean-Philippe Carlot (poetry).
The album features
Nov 30, 2025 -
New Christmas Music by from Marcus Goldhaber “I Can’t Wait For Christmas” (digital only single) and Margee Minier-Tubbs &... Read Full Article
Sep 9, 2025 -
Chicago-based Indie-folk singer-songwriter Chris Rawlins is set to release his much anticipated sophomore album, Flyover,... Read Full Article
Sep 7, 2025 -
Putumayo Discovery is proud to announce the release of French Groove, a dynamic compilation that showcases the fresh face of French... Read Full Article
Sep 7, 2025 -
Putumayo Discovery's new album, Instrumental Odyssey, out on September 5th, 2025 is a journey across cultures, continents, and musical... Read Full Article
Oct 24, 2024 -
For fans of Beirut, Joni Mitchell, Tori Amos, Regina Spektor and Keren Ann. The lush bucolic folk of ‘Season to Season’ is the first... Read Full Article
Sep 12, 2024 -
Indiana based Singer Songwriter Abbie Thomas to release eagerly awaited second album Sept 27
The candid creative spark behind Abbie... Read Full Article
Jul 31, 2024 -
FOLK MUSICIANS CATHY FINK, MARCY MARXER, AND
CHAO TIAN ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM,
FROM CHINA TO APPALACHIA
THE GLOBAL MUSIC PROJECT... Read Full Article
Jun 12, 2024 -
Embark on a musical journey across Africa that celebrates the rich cultural tapestry of the continent with Putumayo's African... Read Full Article
