A Special Seated Show with Jean-Michel Blais

Jean-Michel Blais plays The First Unitarian Church on Wednesday, January 13, a seated show that centers on his fourth album, mirador. Blais is a Montreal pianist and composer whose work has shifted over the years from contemporary minimalism toward a lighter, more generous maximalism. mirador takes its name from a childhood memory of a basement lookout where he played a family Hammond organ and replayed the same cassettes on loop. After 375 million streams, the record brings in choirs, strings, and the music of the Andes.

Blais began experimenting with orchestration on 2022's aubades and later turned to the human voice as a "pure instrument," assembling a twelve-part a cappella choir with help from William Brittelle and adding a string quartet of friends. He also brought in Tulio Velazco Villagra, a Montrealer who grew up on the shores of Lake Titicaca and masters Andean instruments like the zampoña. The album's influences range from Ariel Ramirez and Los Kjarkas to Beethoven and Portishead, and Blais describes being inspired by encounters with composer Arvo Pärt during a residency in Estonia.

It's a seated concert, so you'll be listening rather than standing around. Doors open at 7:30 PM and the show starts at 8 PM. Tickets are $42.29.