Jamy Ian Swiss Archives - Bicycle Cards

Jamy Ian Swiss – A Masterclass in the Cups and Balls – review

Phil Sweeting — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 00:01:26 +0000

A Masterclass in the Cups and Balls was another DVD I was very keen to look at. Partly because of my Cups and Balls pilgrimage and partly because I have very much enjoyed reading Jamy’s books.

This very reasonably priced one hour long DVD teaches Jamy’s Cups and Balls routine in full. It starts with a live performance – which is always massively helpful in getting the feel for a routine. It’s a long routine (around 12 minutes), which takes its time to get going since there is a 7 minute “introduction”¹. More about that later.

The rest of the DVD is taken up with the explanation. This is very clearly shot in a studio setting (though you do sometimes hear the camera operator laughing!). As you would expect from such a scholar of the magic art, everything is well attributed. And chasing up some of those references would be very profitable.

The teaching covers the structure, the development and the theory of the routine in much more detail than the actual moves. Many are standard cups and balls routines – and references are given if you don’t know them. There is a little bit more work on some of the vanished and on the wand spin, but this is not primarily about teaching technique.

It’s a style thing…

It is based, as so often, on Dai Vernon’s classic routine. There’s a reason The Professor’s is a classic! But it has evolved a fair bit and incorporated ideas from a range of other performers. It concludes with quite an elaborate set of final loads. You’ll have to make a gimmick if you want to do it exactly as he does it with a bonus liquid load at the very end.

The opening sequence is made up of a long and verbose prologue which allows a very comprehensive display of all the properties. In a fascinating article
– which reads like extended ‘sleeve notes’ for the release – he characterizes the style as:

a somewhat ironic approach, that collected some actual facts but presented them in a manner that was simultaneously light-hearted while also somewhat subversive

Perhaps this is a cultural thing, but rather than ironic, I found the patter somewhat pretentious. But this suits his performing style! And he explicitly denies permission to use it. Which again, is what you would expect, for someone who has written so clearly against plagiarism and ‘covering’ other people’s material.

But when you overlook the style, which would not be mine, I really liked his ideas for getting into position with the initial loading of the balls. There’s some great thinking here.

The routine itself

The routine itself flows well and is brilliantly structured. A spectator is invited to join in which is very effective and Swiss argues is absolutely essential to the effect.

Interestingly, at the very end of the whole teaching, his key recommendation is actually to learn the Vernon routine and then make it your own. In other words (as is fairly clear from the article referred to above) I think he sees the whole exercise as more as a reference work on your own journey of exploration than a destination in itself.

For that reason, it is not a work to learn the cups and balls from – it is called a masterclass for a reason. It will definitely repay study, but it is not the place to start.

If you’re on a pilgrimage like me towards developing your own routine then you should definitely invest and reflect (and read the article referenced above!) If you’re just starting out, don’t start here!

But at only £13.50 I would say this is essential viewing for anyone who wants to perform this classic of magic.

You can pick up A Masterclass in Cups and Balls from the Merchant of Magic or any Murphy’s Magic supplier.

Review copy kindly provided by Murphys Magic to whom dealer enquiries should be directed.

¹Jamy entered into some private correspondence with me to correct my ‘error’ in initially describing the routine as 18 minutes long. He is firmly of the conviction that the routine itself should be distinguished from the ‘introduction’ or ‘prologue’. Whilst I understand this perspective from the point of view of the magician/performer (and have updated the review to reflect his wishes), I am still of the opinion that to a layperson watching they would not distinguish those two things – since some magic already takes place in the ‘introduction’. So from their perspective the ‘routine’ would actually be 18 or 19 minutes long. However, for the purposes of this review, not a great deal hangs on it…

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Jamy Ian Swiss – Preserving Mystery – review

Phil Sweeting — Wed, 21 Jun 2017 08:21:39 +0000

If you have ever read any of Jamy Ian Swiss’s book reviews, then you will appreciate why I approach this current endeavour with some degree of trepidation. On the other hand, were I to tell you that this is the first magic book I have read which has led me to re-evaluate my life (though that I read it shortly after my 40th birthday may also be relevant) then you will understand why I feel compelled to write this review, in the vain attempt to bring this stimulating work to a wider audience.

We should say at the start that if you are the sort of magician who believes the only value in any magic purchase is in ‘learning some more tricks’ then you should probably stop reading now and certainly shouldn’t buy the book. On the other hand, if you are a magician who loves their art and who wants to think more deeply, develop as a performer, and revel in our shared magical history, then this is essential reading.

Preserving Mystery is the third in a trio of books which Vanishing Magic have just re-published in a beautiful matching edition. Indeed if you buy the complete set you will get a fourth volume unavailable elsewhere. It is beautifully printed to Vanishing Magic’s usual high standards. An understated hard-back volume, appropriately illustrated and typeset in a font which is easy on the eye. Many of the essays have been published before elsewhere but since many of us may not have had access to those magazines this is a welcome addition to the library.

The title essay, which comes last in the book, explores that tension which anyone who loves magic is well familiar with. We start off in magic transported and captivated by the mystery of it all – but as we grow in knowledge and experience it becomes harder to achieve those moments of mystery. Swiss explores this tension and some of its complications with insight and understanding.

The book falls into three sections. I will try to give a flavour of each.

Cannon Fodder

This section contains some of the most ‘theoretical’ essays and explores, amongst other things, the relationship between a hack magician (and potential plagiarist) and a true creative artist, the way we (consciously or not) treat our audience, the difference between mentalism and mental magic, and even the portrayal of magicians in fiction and what we are to learn from that.

Each essay is insightful and clearly argued. I, personally, really enjoy his erudite style and his unashamed convictions. He is prepared to nail his colours to the mast as to what he likes and what he doesn’t – and the unavoidable impression is of a man who dearly loves his art and longs for others to think more deeply and carefully about it.

Yesterdays

As its name suggests, this section takes the form of historical and biographical sketches. He covers Al Flosso (1895-1976), Imam Hossani (1949-2012), Michael Skinner (1941-1998), Herb Zarrow (1925-2008) and Earl Johnson (1923-2009). Although I knew of almost all of these, each essay was a wonderfully personal and evocative sortie into their lives. I love reading about the history of magic and found that each chapter transported me in a delightful way to another world. Swiss not only describes the men, but draws lessons from their lives including (in the case of Michael Skinner) some very specific finesses on particular moves.

A Magician Prepares

This third section is a little more wide-ranging. As an avid reader and collector of magic books, I loved the first essay which was primarily a lament for the personal introduction of many classic magic books. I share some of Swiss’ dislike of the magic video/dvd/download as a way of learning magic, though am slightly more optimistic than him about the future of magic publishing in the light of a number of very fine (to my mind) books which have been published in recent years.

Suiting Repertoire was an argument for having a larger repertoire of effects and moves than you need for your ‘regular’ performing set on the basis that you may otherwise miss out on creating some memorable one-off moments of magic. The illustrations from his own life of successful examples of this felt like the real reason he wanted to write the chapter – but enjoyed the tales and found my own laziness sorely challenged by the approach!

A chapter is devoted to exploring the subtlety of that most-abused sleight, the French Drop. This is followed by a stimulating exploration of how to choose the method (sleight of hand or ‘gaff’) when you are devising or learning a routine. I wish that more of us devoted this level of thinking to our magical performances – and the repeated insight that method affects effect is vital to remember. Footonote 51 was one of favourite in the book (closely followed by 34 in the chapter on the French Drop) – but you will have to read the book yourself to discover why they made me laugh out loud.

The Swiss Sleight Study System takes up most of the rest of this section – and is essentially a plea for magicians to take their study of sleight of hand seriously and an index of references for the most standard card magic sleights (and a much briefer equivalent for coin magic). If you are serious about developing your sleight of hand then this would benefit further study.

I had a wonderful few evenings reading this excellent book and it gets my highest recommendation for anyone who loves magic and wants to be encouraged to think carefully about it. And in case you’re wondering, it was a particular challenge about one’s motivation to practise which made me ask (again) some fundamental questions about priorities in life.

Preserving Mystery is available from the Merchant of Magic for £27.50 (at the time of writing).

Review copy kindly provided by Murphys Magic to whom dealer enquiries should be directed.

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Trick of the Month – May 2017 Edition

admin — Sun, 30 Apr 2017 23:01:05 +0000

This site caters for many different kind of readers and magicians – and our selections this month will reflect that…

Many of our crew enjoy the self-working kind of magic, and for them Fortuity by David Jonathan may be worth a look. The plot is loosely based on the classic Duel Match type effect – but the method and detail have been changed – leaving an easy to do prediction effect. £34.99

But we never forget that we started out as a sight entirely focused on playing cards for magic. So here’s a heads-up on some rather good looking cards. The Whispering Imps are a striking set of cards which would work particularly well in any gambling-themed routine. They feature a minimalist back design, and dual-orientation indices. As well as the Red and Black versions (£10.50) which have been available for a while, the Green Limited Edition deck is now available individually (it was previously only available in a wooden collectors box set) for £37.50.

I have a significant birthday this month, so am going to indulge by mentioning a whole shelf-full of wonderful magic books.

Nick Trost’s Subtle Card Creations series have been ram-packed with wonderful magic, often requiring little sleight of hand. So volume 6 is a must read. £38.99. Anything with Robert Neale’s name on it is also worth reading – he has an incredibly creative take on story-telling magic and his books always stimulate ideas. Why not pick up Magic Matters ready for some ideal holiday reading? Like Neale, but often more provocative, is Jamy Ian Swiss. I loved Shattering Illusions so have no hesitation recommending Preserving Mystery without even having laid my hands upon it. [UPDATE – we have now read and done a full review of Preserving Mystery – it is Superb!] [And if anyone wants to buy me something for my 40th then this beautiful collectors edition of his complete works would be a nice idea :-)]

And last, but not least, here’s a welcome re-release. Marc Oberon’s Bang On has always been, to my mind, one of the best solutions to the thought of card in envelope plot. I have seen many variations over the years and have performed several, but there is something about the direct simplicity of Marc’s version which makes it very strong. It’s been re-released on Bicycle stock, and I gather there may be a few other refinements – though I haven’t picked up a copy yet. £96.50

That’s all for now. Have a great month, and check back in for a stack of new reviews – including the latest Bannon DVD – coming soon…

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