The Night The Cumberland Came Alive

After delving into the old gospel and blues traditions of the south with Salvation In Lights, Mike Farris is continuing his musical and spiritual journey with a new collection of songs steeped in turn of the century roots country, gospel and blues. Coming off a recent Dove Award win for Best Traditional Gospel Album of the Year for SHOUT! Live, Mike was inspired directly by the Nashville flood in May to write a song that reflected the events as well as using an old refrain used by musicians in the pre-war era. The Night the Cumberland Comes Alive is the song as well as the name of the 6 track EP Mike recorded on May 27th at the Downtown Presbyterian Church along with an all star team of Nashville talent including: Sam Bush, Ketch Secor and Gill Landry (Old Crow Medicine Show), Kenny Vaughan (Marty Stuart), Byron House (Robert Plant) and the McCrary Sisters along with other members of the Roseland Rhythm Revue.

Mike had been moved by this old roots music prior to the events of early May and along with fellow music history lover, Ketch Secor, composed a song ( Dear Lazarus ) which could easily have found its place in the field recordings discovered by Alan Lomax. Wrapped Up, Tangled Up has an older traditional gospel feel complete with Brother Mike testimony. Down On Me , Mother Earth and Don t Let the Sun Go Down are all pre-war songs with different backgrounds but still have that timeless feel to them.


The entire EP is a great snapshot of what inspiration and purpose can do when you have amazing talent all focused on something bigger than themselves. With that in mind the goal is to have the majority of the proceeds benefit the victims of the Nashville flood. As much of this music was originally born out of struggle it seems appropriate to give back and help heal the community Mike calls home.