Tunes from The Far Side
“Tunes from The Far Side” is the working title of a new album by the Mike Block Trio that includes 12 original musical compositions, each inspired by a different cartoon by Gary Larson. With a taste of whimsy and a strong sense of humor, this collection of songs and instrumentals is musically sincere, stylistically diverse, and directly inspired by Gary Larson’s timeless creations of The Far Side.
Our dream is to invite Mr. Larson to create original artwork for an album cover.
We are also hoping to release our music as part of a book that pairs a full-page color display of each of the 12 cartoons with an opposing page that perhaps features the musical notation of the composition, and/or a QR code to listen to the audio of the track from the album on the reader’s phone.
Below are the recordings of each of the 12 tracks, as well as an image of the source cartoon, for reference. NOTE: The album is still in post-production
The Beguiling Madame D’Gizarde
Big Red
Sylvia and Rhonda
Beverly Hills of the North Pole
The Magnificent Lipizzaner Cows!
Just a Face in the Crowd
Mr. Binkley
Cup After Cup
Expression of Concern
The Plot Thickens
Something to Add
The Awkward Age
Mike Block Trio
Mike Block Trio, featuring Joe K. Walsh (mandolin/vocals) and Zachariah Hickman (bass/vocals), is led by cello player, singer, and composer, Mike Block, who has been hailed as “one of the bravest, most intriguing musicians on the American fusion scene” by Gramophone Magazine. The trio fertilizes American roots music with contemporary and international influences, bringing an exciting and personal perspective to the acoustic music scene.
ALBUM CREDITS:
Mike Block: cello, vocals
Joe Walsh: mandolin, vocals, octave mandolin, guitar
Zachariah Hickman: bass, vocals, tuba, ringmaster speech
Eve Wodarcyk: vocals
Engineer: Dan Cardinal
Producer: Mike Block
Music composed by Mike Block
Arrangements by Mike, Joe, and Zachariah
12 tracks, 43 minutes