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Xyra Music… Verborgen, The_LINE, The XYRA Band, The Banished, Mystic Angels, Flight of Odin

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  • Overview
  • Flight of Odin
  • Xyra
  • Andrew Cann
  • Kenny Finger
  • Chelle Fulk
  • Matt Wall
  • Tyler Beddow
  • Andy Paul “GuitarGuru”
  • Dan Kolcun
  • Brian Bukovsky
  • John Wagner
  • Ragnar Ravensblood
  • Mark Jeffrey Campayno
  • Mike Karagiannis
  • Spiro Karagiannis
  • Mystic Angels
  • The XYRA Band
  • The LINE__
  • Verborgen Orchestra
  • Verborgen Trio
  • Event History
  • Media History
  • Discography
  • Producer: Multi-label, Kevin Gutierrez
  • Producer: Multi-label, Jim Ebert
  • Producer: Capitol Records' Marco Delmar
  • R.I.P. Co-Producer: Warner Bros.' Robert Goldstein
  • Muse
Mystic Angels

After recovering from a car accident, resulting in a cervical spine fusion, Xyra placed another ad in the Washington City Paper, hoping to find impetus and input for a new project. As fate would have it, bassist-violinist, Vince Calcaterra, MB, and drummer-percussionist, Marc Collier, DMM, answered her ad. Both were enthusiastic to join an original music band offering recording and performance opportunities. Xyra tagged the group, Mystic Angels Within a year, the four developed and recorded of 16 of Xyra's previously unreleased songs.

Xyra and Mystic Angels decided to employ Cue Recording Studios, with triple-Platinum Grammy producer, Jim Ebert and engineer, Sean Russell at the helm. Studio A @ Cue, with its concert grand was perfect for Andrew's piano parts and their acoustic sets. The Red Room was ideal for the louder takes, featuring Marc's elaborate drum and percussion setup. Final mixes and vocals were fine-tuned in Studio B. Titled "Never Lost Forever", the album melded several genres, "executed with finesse, strong musicianship, and feeling".

Hopes were high. Ads went out announcing the release. Tee shirts and posters accompanied production of the double-album. CD Baby, their Indie distributor flooded the market with digital media. The band received debut airplay on WAMU FM, with a plug by WAMU personality, Lee Michael Demsey, and radio legend, Cerphe Colwell wrote a rave review. Despite a year of rehearsals, much hoopla, and plans for a tour, unbeknownst to them, the band was doomed.

On December 12, 2010, the band debuted Never Lost Forever at Jammin' Java in Vienna, VA. Xyra had ignored the advice of a seasoned astrologer, who warned against the date. Ultimately, the astrologer was right. That night, a freak ice-storm swept the area. Drummer, Marc developed stage fright and forgot song intros and endings. The ice storm impeded attendance. Guests of certain band members walked in, free. The band did not draw, as expected. Xyra paid the band, and Jammin' Java for the loss of revenue, but not herself.

Soon thereafter, arguments ensued over blame and the band split apart. In retrospect, the project could have waited until spring of 2011. Nevertheless, all experiences lead to wisdom, one tends to hope.

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Omnipresent drummer and friend, Kenny Finger Tyler Beddow, guitarist Matt Wall, bassist Chelle Fulk: violinist, violist, chin-cellist Dan Kolcun… second guitar Mike and Spiro Karagiannis...Live @ the 9:30 Club 2017 Kevin Gutierrez ~ Mixing Engineer/Producer Contributing visual artist: Jordan Montgomery-Conway Bill Wolf ~ Mastering Engineer Guru Anastasia Ovchinnikova: MASTER ARTIST for Flight of Odin album over "The Only Door" Flight of Odin cover art by Anastasia Ovchinnikova Dec 2010 Dec 2004 Dec 1999 Jan 2000 Dec 1998 &lt;FONT COLOR = 8000800238&gt;Photo � J.Matt Senkow Odin Land &lt;FONT COLOR = 8000800238&gt;The way they were, with &lt;b&gt;Jeff Spencer&lt;/b&gt; playing lead guitar on his custom Ibanez.  &lt;b&gt;Xyra&lt;/b&gt; is seen playing her Diamond Series Schecter, and &lt;b&gt;Andrew Cann&lt;/b&gt; is seen on the far right, playing his Roland keyboard (when he wasn&#39;t on his Ibanez electric named &#39;Jaws&#39;).  &lt;b&gt;Dave White&lt;/b&gt; played bass for the one gig, with &lt;b&gt;Ron Smith&lt;/b&gt; on drums, in the background.  This night, they opened for former &lt;b&gt;XTC&lt;/b&gt; member, &lt;b&gt;Barry Andrews&lt;/b&gt;.  The performance was reviewed by &lt;b&gt;Mark Jenkins&lt;/b&gt; in &lt;b&gt;The Washington post&lt;/b&gt;. <br /> <br />Photo � &lt;b&gt;Tatyana Vishnevsky&lt;/b&gt;  <br />Photoshop effects: Xyra Drums and percussion: Never Lost Forever <br />Photo by Lloyd Wolf Violin, bass, mandolin: Never Lost Forever <br />Photo by Lloyd Wolf Photo by J.Matt Senkow; Frightening Beauty release Xyra at <b>Happinest</b>, looking pensive.   <br />Photo by: J.Matt Senkow <FONT COLOR = 8000800238>Master drummer/percussionist, <b>Norman Ellsworth Thorne III</b> joined Xyra & Verborgen in 1997.  He appeared on all Xyra CD releases and performed many live gigs, including the PMC, Blues Alley, and The State Theater.   Norm is featured on the 2005 release, 'Through the Dark Glass Shining', and continues to play and record with Xyra and friends, to date. <br /> <br />Photo of Norm at NPR Studios by: Maggie Kunicki <br /> <FONT COLOR = 8000800238>Master guitarist/composer, <b>Eric Ulreich</b> joined Xyra & Verborgen in 1999.  He completed the guitar tracks for the second CD, 'Frightening Beauty' and continued performing and recording with Xyra and friends through 2012.  Eric plays lead guitar on 'Siren in the Water', track 5 of  'Through the Dark Glass Shining' - XYRA's 2005 release. <FONT COLOR = 8000800238>Violinist/composer, <b>Doug Empie</b> joined Xyra and Andrew for a <b>Nico 60th Birthday Tribute</b>, with <b>Rupert Chappell</b>, in October 1998.  In 2000, Xyra, Andrew, Doug and brother Bret Empie formed <b>THE LINE_</b>.  THE LINE_ recorded a home demo that landed on <b>WRNR FM</b>.  Doug performed and recorded with Xyra and friends again, in 2001 and is featured on the 2005 release, 'Through the Dark Glass Shining'. <br /> <br />Photo of Doug at Happinest by: Jeff Lewis <br />Frame created by: Tone' Wellington <br />Photoshop effects by: Xyra <FONT COLOR = 8000800238>Pianist/keyboardist/composer, <b>Bret Empie</b> aligned forces with his brother Doug Empie and Xyra and Andrew Cann to form <b>THE LINE_</b> in 2000.  Bret later recorded keys and effects for all the tracks on the 2005 release, 'Through the Dark Glass Shining'. <br /> <br />Photo of Bret at Happinest by: Jeff Lewis <br /> &lt;FONT COLOR = 8000800238&gt;Virtuoso multi-wind player/orchestra leader/composer, &lt;b&gt;Don Stapleson&lt;/b&gt; joined Xyra &amp; Verborgen in November 1997.  Don finished the wind parts for the first CD, &#39;Where Glass Birds Fly&#39;, appears on all the CD releases and continues to perform and record with Xyra and friends, to date.   <br /> <br />Photo at Recording Arts Studios by: Xyra <FONT COLOR = 8000800238>Master bassist, <b>Larry Lawrence</b> joined Xyra & Verborgen in January 1998.  He performed several gigs, to include Blues Alley, Black Cat and The State Theater.  Larry also completed the bass parts on the first CD, 'Where Glass Birds Fly', and continued performing and recording with Xyra and friends through 2001.  Larry plays all the bass parts on the 2005 release, 'Through the Dark Glass Shining.' <br /> <br />Photo of Larry at Recording Arts Studio by: Xyra <FONT COLOR = 8000800238>Master cellist, <b>Fred Lieder</b> was the first to join the Verborgen trio, in 1997.  Fred  performed many live gigs with Xyra & Verborgen, and recorded two demos and three CD releases with them at Omega, NPR and Recording Arts Studio, 1997-1999.  The last gig Fred  played with Xyra was at The State Theater, in February 2000. <br /> <br />Photo at NPR Studios by: Maggie Kunicki Clarinet, flute, oboe: Where Glass Birds Fly  <br />Photo at NPR Studios by: Maggie Kunicki 6-string bass: Where Glass Birds Fly <br />Photo at NPR Studios by: Maggie Kunicki <FONT COLOR = 8000800238>Guitarist/composer, <b>Cris Chillura</b>, Xyra and Andrew Cann formed the Verborgen trio in 1996.  Cris is featured on all the Verborgen works.  He continued performing and recording with Xyra and friends through the first 'Frightening Beauty' sessions of 1999. <br /> <br />Photo by: Michelle Chillura
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