I like the trick Jazz Aces and see many variations, e.g. by Michael Ammar, Oz Pearlman, and various others on youtube. Can anyone suggest the method producing the best reaction. I realize this depends on performance, technique, etc. but if there was one method of doing this trick what would you choose? Thanks.

I like Aldo Colombini's method.
Have a look at his "New Pentagram 3"
Steve
PS actually Oops, Aldo quotes Peter Kane

Bannon's.

I looked it up and saw it on youtube. This method seems a little repetitious as he does the same thing 3 times.

Could you explain Bannon's presentation as I can't find it on youtube so don't know what he does. Thanks.

Hi krowboom
An excellent version for me is Modern Jazz Aces by Darwin Ortiz from his book Darwin Ortiz A The Card Table Pg 117. It was designed to contain a number of subtleties and convincers which strengthens Peter Kane’s original effect.

Hope that this helps.

All the best

Michael

Rock and Roll Aces by Justin Higham is excellent and can be found in Best of Friends III. Paul Lelekis also has a wonderful routine in his new ebook on assemblies. This is available on Lybrary.com

Darwin Ortiz routine is identical to Michael Ammar with perhaps one little subtlety added. Rock and roll Aces by Harry Lorayne is also basically the same as the Ammar routine with perhaps a couple of added flourishes.

I'm getting a feeling that the Ammar routine is the way to go. I'm not saying he is the originator as I have no idea who invented this trick but the way Ammar does it seems to be the more prevalent way to do it. Anyone agree or disagree? Thanks.

I doubt if anyone - anyone! - steals from Michael Ammar. We wouldn't dare!!

Sorry, but Rock and Roll aces is Peter Marshall's (I incorrectly credited it to Justin Higham. Rock and Roll Aces was published in Apocalypse before the Ammar routine). Justin Higham's Acid Jazz Aces is in Best of Friends III.

You have to remember that Michael Ammar teaches a lot of routines on his DVDs but they are not all HIS routines.

Best,
Vlad

Like I said I don't know who was the first to introduce this trick nor do I care, just trying to find the best way to present it because there seems to be a number of different ways to do so. It's hard to argue with the presentations of Ammar or Lorayne so I'm assuming this is the best way to go.

For those who do care: Peter Kane's "Jazz Aces" from "Another Card Session with Peter Kane", published in 1971, startet it all.

My favorite is "Slow Motion Jazz Combo" which appears in the book "Still Small, Still Deadly" after a chapter discussing the plot.

And for those who have it, the original Jazz Aces can also be found in Jerry Mentzer's Card Cavalacade along with a couple of contemporary variants.

Hello krowboom
Although I have not seen all of the above versions from what I have seen John Guastaferro's version is best. I believe it is called jazz fusion. I am biased as I think his version of a trick is almost always best. The most bang for the buck. The standard Jazz aces is a good example of a trick where the spectator is expecting the ending and you don't disappoint them. John's has a kicker ending with a reasonable patter that I more or less use. He ends with 4 stranger cards but via email told me when he doesn't have those he uses red mates of the black cards and this is what I always do.. This will make sense if you have seen or know his version.

Give me a shout if you see me in the halls of Lurie Children's
David Wax, cardiology

Is the youtube video below the version of Jazz Fusion you are talking about?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSjuidA9s7A

Thanks.

Pretty sure that was not John Gustaferro doing that video. As for that video--too many Elmsley counts.

That definitely was not John Gustaferro. However is that the correct Jazz Fusion and if it is what is the plot of this trick? There is no sound thus no patter. Other than the kicker ending I can't figure out what the point of what he's doing is.

It looks like he's trying to convey that he is putting a king with the spot cards and it vanishes and appears in the leader packet, then that changes to four aces. That can be magical if presented well, I guess. But this video is kind of weird.

John patters about the cards being sucked into a black hole for his version which is a nice handling for versions with a surprise ending, but there are a number of versions that have kicker endings. Michael Powers has one (that I was unaware of when I compiled my references in my book SSSD) with a mutating virus patter theme in his book "Power Plays". Richard Vollmer's "Jazzy Queens and Kings" can be found on Aldo's DVD "Not playing With a Full Deck" but it originally appeared in Harry Lorayne's "Apocalypse" magazine, queens and kings change places then aces appear. David Regal has one, see "Royal Jazz Quartet" in "Approaching Magic", etc. etc.

In all these cases it is the patter presentation that helps make the effect entertaining so a video clip without sound is like a fish out of water.