I suppose, given John Carney’s longstanding reputation, it’s pointless for me to begin this review by telling you how good a magician he is. But he really is a very good magician, and frankly, in these times of unchecked and often unsubstantiated hype, that bears repeating.

Moreover, while a new, young, exuberant generation of magicians moves towards a quicker, flashier style of magic, John is resolute in his commitment to a classical approach. At the same time, however, he manages to make his material both hip and relevant, a rare gift when dealing with such potentially dated props as cigars, linking rings, thimbles and handkerchiefs.

So let’s talk about these DVDs. First of all, each one contains five items, for a total of ten (you’re welcome...). Secondly, with the exception of two Linking Ring moves and a card sleight, every item is a fully developed, wholly realized routine.

Thirdly, while all the routines are presented in the context of a stand-up act, several could also be used in walkaround conditions.

And fourthly, every one of these routines imbues larger lessons in performing that would be useful to any bipedal, carbon based entertainer.

Volume I

“Just a Cigar” offers a whimsical plot of the kind typically associated with classical magicians. That is to say, it’s an effect with no real-world motivation (like the Egg Bag, or the Multiplying Billiard Balls) that is ultimately engendered with emotional hook (or not) by how the artist performs it. Specifically, in the case of “Just a Cigar,” there really is no reason to extract long cigars from tiny coin purses, then make them transpose in various ways, but John does it anyway, and it’s extremely entertaining to watch.

“Dissolving Steel” is in fact two old Linking Ring moves that were taught to John by Faucett Ross and have, as far as he knows, never appeared in print.

“Money For Nothing” is a Miser’s Dream routine that begins with John establishing the premise (i.e. he produces multiple coins at his fingertips, dropping them one by one into a champagne bucket), then concludes very strongly with John inviting a young boy to assist him in the magical production of coins. Taking inspiration from Al Flosso, John mixes up the methods employed here, so just when you think you have a beat on where the coins are coming from, you get served anew...

“Off The Vine” is a fun way to present the classic three-balls-in-net routine. The net is a handkerchief held open before the magician by two spectators, and the balls are grapes. John’s handling relies predominantly on shuttle passes, and will no doubt fool just about any audience, but there’s no reason you couldn’t apply other ball moves and develop your own routine around his premise. For example, I would be interested in finding some additional way to take advantage of the fact that you have two people standing before you, essentially immobilized.

Finally, Volume I concludes with “Leipzig-Skinner Surprise,” an old-school card routine in which a chosen card, once inserted into the pack, penetrates the deck (and, during the middle phase, the magician’s hand) three times. This is John’s expert handling for “Leipzig’s Opener” (from Dai Vernon’s Tribute to Nate Leipzig), and it’s a chance for you to learn Marlo’s “Deliberate Side Steal,” “The Dai Vernon Double Lift,” “The Diagonal Palm Shift” and Vernon’s palm-to-palm card transfer, all of which John executes flawlessly. Personally, however, I feel that, nearly a hundred years after Nate Lepizig popularized his original version of this routine, the plot is now better served by Vernon’s Ambitious Card and its many excellent variants. But on this I suspect John and I disagree, and I seriously doubt that will cost him any sleep.

Ultimately all the material here is the product of years of study, practice and performance, a lethal combination in the hands of a man as talented as John Carney.

David Acer