Almost every close-up magician and with near certainty every magician that uses cards in their performances includes assemblies. Some are good, some fall short of what we desire, but few have considered which of the wide variety of assemblies are the greatest. Such an assessment must, perforce, be subjective to some degree. Drawing from broad and extensive experience performing for real-world lay audiences, objective criteria can be applied and Wesley James, based on more than fifty years of first-hand performance experience, has done so. In this monograph he has distilled the subject to the 3 Greatest Assemblies available from the vast array extant. They are not the only great assemblies, but, based on objective criteria, the 3 Greatest Assemblies.
If you invest the time and effort required to master these routines, no other assemblies will be needed. That doesn't mean you won't have a favorite that plays well for you or that you should give up performing all other assemblies, but you could. After learning and performing these routines, you may want too; yes, they're that great.
This could be the only text on assemblies you need to own. It should be the one text on assemblies you want to own. You may not recognize the titles, even if you're familiar with the available literature, because they build on the literature. You will, however, recognize the plots.
- MarJam's Aces
- L.S.D. Aces
- No Palm Aces
"MarJam's Aces" is based on
Ed Marlo's most powerful assembly, which improved upon the now
classic "MacDonald's Aces." "L.S.D. Aces" is Wesley's personal contribution to the assembly plot, solving one of the weaknesses in the plot by integrating an O. Henry ending. "No Palm Aces" moves the well-explored "Invisible Palm Aces" plot that grew out of Marlo's "Real Gone Aces,"
Jennings' "Open Travelers," and
Cervon's "Aerodynamic Aces" into the 21st Century. It is unquestionably the most arrestingly visual assembly yet developed for the working performer.
All these routines, and all the techniques they employ, are described in the exacting detail characteristic of Wesley's writing. They are presented in more than 40 densely packed illustrated pages and are now offered for the first time, in one publication.
1st edition 2019, 46 pages.
word count: 23060 which is equivalent to 92 standard pages of text