Grace in the Mystic - Sammy Tedder and Pam Laws "Spirituals are prayers of the soul. Sammy's interpretations leave me no spiritual negotiating space and his music pulls me into that mystical realm between my ancestors and me..." - Pam Laws "Pam’s voice evokes haunting messages from those old souls of the past who endured profound hardship with hope, strength, resolve and grace." - Sammy Tedder Musicians: Pam Laws - vocals Sammy Tedder - saxophones, river cane and bamboo flutes, duduk, uilleann pipes, percussion, keyboards and background vocals Rene' Arbogast - trumpet All arrangements by Sammy Tedder This album was recorded in the most unusual way. The vocals of Pam Laws were recorded a capella at her home in Tallahassee, Florida over the course of two years. Then the musical arrangements were created and recorded after the fact by Sammy Tedder to accompany and surround Pam Laws' vocals on these old Spirituals. Part of the process of recording Pam's vocals involved the long talks we had before she sang any song. We talked about growing up in the 1950's and 1960's in the segregated South. We both grew up in Tallahassee, Florida but due to American Apartheid we never met each other until 1986 when we traveled to the Soviet Union together along with Rene' Arbogast (trumpet) and Lindsey Sarjent (piano) to play concerts promoting cultural exchanges and sister city programs. We have been playing music together ever since--until Pam's recent retirement from singing. I sincerely hope the music moves you as Pam's voice moves me. Sammy Tedder